Filed under: Consumer electronics

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Dell’s first smartphone to arrive soon at AT&T

By Wailin Wong | The first U.S. smartphone by Dell will arrive “soon” at AT&T, marking the computer maker’s long-awaited debut in mobile phones.
 
Dell’s efforts in phones are led by Ron Garriques, the former chief of Schaumburg-based Motorola’s cell phone unit. He was hired by Dell to lead the company’s portfolio of consumer products, which includes phones. Dell has a small office in the Chicago area dedicated to mobile phones.

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Apple iPad debut unlikely to match iPhone’s

From BusinessWeek | Apple’s new iPad will probably not reach sales of one million as quickly as the iPhone did, according to an online bookmaker. “No matter what they put out on the market, there’s going to be large sales, but with this particular product, we don’t think it’s as practical as the iPhone,” said Brian Sanz, who works on wagering, auditing and research development for the Web site YouWager.com. YouWager.com began taking bets on the topic this week.

Get the full story: businessweek.com.

Palm’s phone sales slump and stock dives

Palm.jpg(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Associated Press | Palm Inc. reported sales figures on Thursday that showed it’s having a difficult time getting consumers to pay attention to its phones in a market dominated by iPhones and BlackBerrys. The company’s shares plunged in after-hours trading.

The company shipped 960,000 smart phones to stores and distributors in the quarter that ended Feb. 26, 23 percent more than in the previous quarter. However, the number of phones that were actually bought by consumers was 408,000, down 29 percent from the previous quarter.

By comparison, Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in its most recent quarter.

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Sears brings home project management to iPhone

Tribune staff report | ServiceLive, a Sears Holdings subsidiary that lets consumers manage their home projects online, rolled out a free application of its service for iPhone.

The company’s Web site allows consumers to  name a price for a project or solicit multiple bids for projects ranging from computer repairs to plumbing projects and provides access to local, background-checked professionals.

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ITC to step in on Motorola-RIM Blackberry dispute

By Wailin Wong
| The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate a claim by Motorola Inc. that Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry, infringed on five of the Schaumburg-based company’s patents.

In late January, Motorola filed a complaint against RIM with the agency, alleging that the Canadian phone maker is importing and selling products that infringe on patents for technology such as Wi-Fi access, user interface and power management.  The inquiry at the ITC opens a new front in a two-year legal dispute between the two companies.

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