Mobile Computing

Eventually most of our computing efforts will go mobile (and in the cloud), but until that happens here's where we keep you up to date with the latest developments on smartphones, tablets, laptops and wireless technologies.

Un-send that embarrassing text message with Strings

By Shawn Knight, January 3, 2015, 9:00 AM Filed in Software, Mobile Computing

One of the unfortunate side effects (depending on who you ask, anyway) of excessive alcohol consumption is the free flow of emotions. And in today’s mobile-focused society, it’s often next to impossible to recant what’s been said or shared during…

Apple hit with lawsuit over storage consumed by iOS 8

By Himanshu Arora, January 2, 2015, 8:45 AM Filed in Apple, Mobile Computing

Apple's latest iOS update has earned the company a lawsuit. Filed by Miami residents Paul Orshan and Christopher Endara, the complaint alleges that Apple has failed to disclose the exact amount of storage the operating system will use. …

What's Next in Mobile? 10 Predictions for 2015

FEATUREBy Tim Schiesser, January 2, 2015, 3:15 AM Filed in TechSpot, Mobile Computing

Twenty-fourteen saw mobile displays go above 1080p, ubiquitous LTE, lots of affordable devices, and more. As we now head in to 2015, it's time to make another ten predictions for what we might see in mobile computing throughout the year. Is the market set for a slowdown or will we see further noteworthy advancements? Here is our take on where we think the action will be.

Samsung launches Milk VR multimedia service for Gear VR headset

By Shawn Knight, December 30, 2014, 2:30 PM Filed in Mobile Computing

Samsung’s Gear VR headset launched earlier this month but up to now, there really hasn’t been much of a reason to pluck down $199.99 for the gadget as content has been scarce at best. Sammy is now addressing that issue…

Xiaomi now the world's most valuable tech startup

By Himanshu Arora, December 30, 2014, 1:00 PM Filed in Mobile Computing, Industry News

China's top smartphone vendor Xiaomi, which recently surpassed LG and Lenovo to become the third-largest smartphone maker in the world, has announced that it has raised $1.1 billion in its latest funding round valuing the company at a whopping $45…

Apple reportedly in talks with Britain's top banks to launch Apple Pay early next year

By Himanshu Arora, December 30, 2014, 11:00 AM Filed in Apple, Mobile Computing

Here's some good news for people in the UK waiting for Apple Pay to launch there: the Cupertino-based company is in talks with Britain's top banks to launch the mobile payments service, which is officially only available in the US, in the first…

Read More Comments 0

Samsung launches Snapdragon 810 Note 4 as Galaxy Alpha is killed off

By Tim Schiesser, December 30, 2014, 10:00 AM Filed in Mobile Computing, Hardware

Samsung isn't finished with announcements for 2014, launching a new variant of the Galaxy Note 4 before CES kicks off in a few weeks. While most aspects of the Note 4 remain the same, the SoC has received a decent…

Apple responsible for more than half of all mobile device activations this holiday season

By Shawn Knight, December 29, 2014, 6:30 PM Filed in Apple, Mobile Computing

If you didn’t activate a new Apple device this holiday season, you were apparently in the minority. According to a new report from research firm Flurry, more than 51 percent of mobile devices activated between December 19 and December 25…

Read More Comments 1

Sony reportedly working on large-screen tablet to compete with super-sized iPad

By Shawn Knight, December 26, 2014, 6:45 PM Filed in Mobile Computing

Apple is expected to unveil a large-screen iPad early next year, a rumor that reportedly has the competition clamoring to beat the Cupertino-based company to the punch.

Kodak to debut Android-powered smartphone at CES

By Shawn Knight, December 26, 2014, 1:30 PM Filed in Mobile Computing, Industry News

Kodak seemed down for the count following its 2012 bankruptcy filing. After selling off a number of its assets, however, the iconic imaging brand reemerged late last year as a commercial printing company. Not content to rest on its laurels,…

Lyft now lets you split the cost of your ride with up to 5 friends

By Himanshu Arora, December 23, 2014, 11:30 AM Filed in Mobile Computing, The Web

Up until now, one of the main reasons people preferred Uber when traveling in groups was that the ridesharing service allowed passengers to split fares through its mobile app, a feature the company released back in July last year. But…

Read More Comments 0

Boeing taps BlackBerry to build a secure, self-destructing smartphone

By Shawn Knight, December 22, 2014, 3:00 PM Filed in Mobile Computing, IT Security

Boeing, one of the largest aircraft makers in the world, is teaming up with BlackBerry to build an ultra-secure smartphone called the Boeing Black. Not to be confused with the Blackphone, the Boeing Black is an Android-based handset that’s being…

Read More Comments 1

Amazon's Fire Phone follow up won't arrive until sometime in 2016

By Jose Vilches, December 22, 2014, 2:00 PM Filed in Mobile Computing

Amazon’s entry intro the smartphone space was met with as much disappointment as there was anticipation leading up to the Fire Phone launch. But while the device was both a critical and commercial flop, the online retailer is not ready…

Walt Disney World to enable mobile payments via Apple Pay, Google Wallet this week

By Shawn Knight, December 22, 2014, 12:54 PM Filed in Mobile Computing, Apple

“I’m going to Disney World!” It’s a phrase most often associated with the Super Bowl but soon, it’ll ring true for two of the top mobile payment providers.

Read More Comments 0

Samsung to pull the plug on ChatOn next year, but not in the US

By Himanshu Arora, December 19, 2014, 6:00 PM Filed in Mobile Computing, Software

Just a few weeks after denying reports that it was planning to shut down its ChatON service on a "region-to-region" basis, Samsung has announced that it will discontinue the messaging service in all countries, except for the US.

Read More Comments 1

Bought by Facebook for $1 billion, Instagram now worth a whopping $35 billion

By Jose Vilches, December 19, 2014, 2:30 PM Filed in The Web, Mobile Computing

Facebook’s $1 billion acquisition of Instagram in 2012 may have seemed shocking at the time -- and indeed, it sparked talk of a new tech bubble. But as it turns out the deal is now looking like quite a bargain…

Uber strikes deal with Portland, city officials to review ride-sharing rules

By Himanshu Arora, December 19, 2014, 1:30 PM Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing

Just over a week after the city of Portland slapped a lawsuit against Uber, the two have reached an agreement under which the ride-sharing service will pause its operations there for three months while city officials work on changing the…

Read More Comments 0

Chinese Internet giant Baidu to invest in Uber

By Himanshu Arora, December 18, 2014, 6:00 PM Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing

Just a couple of weeks after it raised $1.2 billion in a round of funding that valued the company at $40 billion, Uber has announced that it has entered into a partnership with China-based search engine Baidu.

Read More Comments 0

BlackBerry returns to its roots with new Classic smartphone

By Himanshu Arora, December 18, 2014, 3:00 PM Filed in Mobile Computing

In an era when touch-screen-only phones have become the order of the day, BlackBerry, whose global market share stayed flat at 1% in the past year, has launched a smartphone that features a traditional QWERTY keyboard as well as other…

Job listing reveals Apple Pay global expansion plans

By Himanshu Arora, December 18, 2014, 9:45 AM Filed in Apple, Mobile Computing

Launched back in October this year, Apple Pay is officially only available in the US, but that could change in future, as a new job listing on the Apple’s website indicates that the company is planning to expand the service…

Read More Comments 0

Sprint faces $105 million fine over fraudulent charges on customers' bills

By Himanshu Arora, December 17, 2014, 4:15 PM Filed in Mobile Computing, Industry News

Sprint could be slapped with a hefty fine from the Federal Communications Commission for placing third-party charges on customers’ bills without their knowledge or authorization, a practice often referred to as cramming, according to a National Journal report.

Facebook will auto-enhance your mobile photos

By Tim Schiesser, December 17, 2014, 7:45 AM Filed in The Web, Mobile Computing

Facebook doesn't want a whole bunch of mediocre mobile photos littered throughout its service, so starting today it will automatically enhance any photos uploaded through its application.

Uncarrier 8.0: T-Mobile announces rollover for your data

By Jose Vilches, December 16, 2014, 4:00 PM Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing

T-Mobile is pushing forward with its ‘Uncarrier’ strategy, announcing a new plan called “Data Stash” that will allow customers to roll over their unused data each month for up to a year. CEO John Legere noted this is one of…

Google Now on iOS and Android gets voice controls, notification cards for Nest thermostat

By Jose Vilches, December 15, 2014, 6:30 PM Filed in Electronics, Mobile Computing

Nest thermostat owners can now use Google’s iOS and Android apps to control their home’s temperature. The feature will support over two dozen voice commands for controlling the smart thermostat via Google Now, either using the official app or through…

Read More Comments 1

World's third largest smartphone maker Xiaomi made just $56 million profit last year

By Himanshu Arora, December 15, 2014, 12:30 PM Filed in Mobile Computing, Industry News

Xiaomi Technology, often referred to as the ‘Apple of China’, made just 347.48 million yuan ($56.15 million) of profit on 26.58 billion yuan ($4.30 billion) in revenue last year, according to Reuters. The information was obtained from the financial results…

Read More Comments 0

YouTube