smartphones

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House Passes Bill Allowing Cell Phone Unlocking

But only after controversy over last-minute provision

(Newser) - The House yesterday passed a bill that would make it legal to unlock your phone, despite pushback from Democrats over a last-minute addition to the bill banning "bulk unlocking." You'd be forgiven for not realizing that unlocking a phone—meaning making it work on other carriers—was...

Scam Alert: Beware of a Call That Only Rings Once

New trick involves getting you to call back

(Newser) - The Better Business Bureau calls it the "One-Ring Phone Scam": Scammers call your phone, let it ring once, and hang up. That prompts you—the scammers hope—to call back, allowing them to pile on charges while you're connected. The calls usually come from outside the US, but...

The NSA's Secret Source: Angry Birds?

Spy agency exploits flaws in popular apps

(Newser) - When you fire up Angry Birds, Google Maps, or a host of other popular smartphone apps, you're opening yourself up to government spies. The NSA and its UK counterpart, the GCHQ, have been actively intercepting the data that "leaky" apps collect from users, according to a new leak...

Apple Cuts Deal to Offer iPhone on China Mobile

World's biggest carrier could revive iPhone sales in China

(Newser) - Apple says it has reached a deal to bring the iPhone to China Mobile, the world's biggest phone carrier. The deal could boost sales of the iPhone in China. Demand for iPhones, once hugely popular in China, have slumped there as lower-priced rival smartphones from Samsung and Chinese companies...

Dog Dating and Other Terrible App Ideas

They center on self-punishment, urine

(Newser) - Dating for dogs? An app to time pee breaks? Among the multitudes of clever mobile apps come plenty that are duds from the start. Developer Fueled shares some of the most ridiculous pitches it has received, via Business Insider :
  • Shock treatment: Linked to an electric bracelet, this app is all
...

Google Working on Real-Life Tracking: Report

It'll keep tabs on you, and sell data to advertisers

(Newser) - What if tracking cookies didn't just track your web activity—they tracked your every movement and reported it back to advertisers? A program Google is beta-testing does just that, ad industry sources tell Digiday . The program would track consumers' smartphone GPS data even if they didn't have any...

Hey Tech Guys: Women Don't Want Massive Phones

Zeynep Tufekci describes her frustrations dealing with her too-big Nexus

(Newser) - Zeynep Tufekci was covering a protest in Istanbul when Turkish soldiers began firing tear gas into the peaceful crowd. She whipped out her phone—a Google Nexus 4—hoping to document the outrage, and clutching her bag with one hand, tried to snap a picture with the other. It was...

Nokia Introduces New Windows Tablet, Phablet

Phone offers 6-inch, 1080p display

(Newser) - With Apple preparing for its (possibly iPad-themed) event in San Francisco today, Nokia is making some noise of its own over in Abu Dhabi. The device maker has added several new gadgets to its lineup, including a Windows tablet and a big-screen phone, or phablet. The new Lumia 1520 phone...

Stop the Hate: Windows Phone Keeps Getting Better
Stop the Hate: Windows Phone Keeps Getting Better
opinion
Oct 15, 2013 12:22 PM CDT

Stop the Hate: Windows Phone Keeps Getting Better

Ashlee Vance explains why he doesn't have an iPhone or Android

(Newser) - Ashlee Vance is a rarity in Silicon Valley: Rather than toting an iPhone or Android device, he has ... a Windows phone, which means he gets "ridicule and pity" wherever he goes, he writes in BusinessWeek . Windows phones aren't hip. Some of the coolest apps (hello, Instagram) are missing...

Phone-Obsessed Train Passengers Didn't Spot Gunman

People need to be aware of surroundings, police warn

(Newser) - When a killer in search of a victim pulled out his handgun on a crowded commuter train in San Francisco last month, the dozens of passengers nearby were so engrossed in their smartphones and tablet computers that they didn't notice a thing, police say. Security video shows the gunman...

Cellphone Tracking Just Got Even Scarier

New software can identify all of your devices—even if they're not connected

(Newser) - It isn't just the NSA we have to worry about snooping on our cellphones now: several new start-ups are sneaking software into apps that builds individualized profiles of users' spending, browsing, and travel habits, then sells the info to advertisers. The new tech is way more advanced than old-fashioned...

Louis CK Rant Is Church 2.0


 Louis CK Rant 
 Is Church 2.0 
OPINION
Sep 26, 2013 12:49 PM CDT

Louis CK Rant Is Church 2.0

Meghan Daum on today's hunger for meaning

(Newser) - Why did the world go nuts over last week's clip of Louis CK bemoaning the evils of smartphones ? It's not because we all secretly loathe our smartphones, writes Meghan Daum in the Los Angeles Times , although obviously many of us can relate to the "existential torpor"...

Why Louis CK Is Wrong About Smartphones
 Why Louis CK Is Wrong 
 About Smartphones 
OPINION
Sep 23, 2013 3:24 PM CDT

Why Louis CK Is Wrong About Smartphones

They can be bad, but they can also be good: Daniel Engber

(Newser) - Chances are you saw—quite possibly while perusing Facebook on your smartphone—a bunch of your friends sharing a clip of Louis CK talking about how terrible smartphones are . But the comedian's rant is missing an important point, writes Daniel Engber on Slate . Sure, we all agree "that...

BlackBerry Sells Itself for $4.7B

Fairfax Financial, the smartphone pioneer's largest shareholder, buys it

(Newser) - It looks like the days of BlackBerry being an independent company are over. Trading on shares of the company was halted today when the company made it known that it had a major announcement coming. The announcement: It had signed a letter of intent to be purchased by Fairfax Financial...

Brutal Day for Blackberry: Cuts 40% of Workforce

Company reports $1B loss

(Newser) - Apple may be celebrating another successful iPhone rollout today, but it's a far different story for Blackberry. The company said it will lay off 4,500 employees, or 40% of its global workforce, as it reports a nearly $1 billion second-quarter loss a week earlier than expected. The stock...

Louis CK Explains Evils of Smartphones

Nobody can sit quietly alone anymore, he tells Conan

(Newser) - Apple says demand has been "incredible" for today's rollout of the new iPhones , reports AllThingsD . One person you won't find in line? Louis CK. On Conan last night, the comedian explained all that's wrong with smartphones, especially when it comes to kids, reports Salon . Sample line:...

Apple Held an Event, Tech World Snoozed
 Apple Held an Event, 
 Tech World Snoozed 
OPINION
Sep 11, 2013 1:06 PM CDT

Apple Held an Event, Tech World Snoozed

Rice & Co. didn't deliver a cheap phone, or anything new enough

(Newser) - Apple's big iPhone unveiling yesterday—in which it replaced the iPhone 5 with the similar 5S and cheaper, multicolored 5C—has pundits yawning and investors selling. Here's how people are reacting:
  • The biggest problem is that "Apple failed to feed the insatiable consumer appetite for the new,
...

Apple Looking at 6-Inch iPhone Screens: Report

Wall Street Journal says company has test models

(Newser) - Apple releases its new iPhones on Tuesday, and while they might come in different colors , you can safely expect the screens to remain at 4 inches. But maybe not for long: The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is toying with the idea of offering bigger screens down the road—...

Smartphones May Help Pedestrians Dodge Cars

Honda, others working on warning technology

(Newser) - Automakers are working on technology that could cut down on the number of pedestrians hit by distracted drivers—or on the number of distracted pedestrians who walk in front of cars. It's a warning system that uses GPS systems on smartphones and something called dedicated short range communications, reports...

Microsoft and Nokia: The Saddest Names in Tech Unite

How pundits are reacting, and how Microsoft is explaining itself

(Newser) - Why did Microsoft buy Nokia's phone business ? We now know Microsoft's answer: The computing giant released a 30-slide presentation today arguing that the move will improve Microsoft's margins on Windows phones, which will allow it to invest more in the platform, which will accelerate sales and...

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