Aug. 2, 2010 at 8:29 a.m.
Filed under:
Cell phones,
Consumer electronics
By Associated Press
A piece of flexed Gorilla glass, an ultra-strong glass that has been looking for a purpose since its invention in 1962. (AP/Corning)
An ultra-strong glass that has been looking for a purpose since its invention in 1962 is poised to become a multibillion-dollar bonanza for Corning Inc.
The 159-year-old glass pioneer is ramping up production of what it calls Gorilla glass, expecting it to be the hot new face of touch-screen tablets and high-end TVs.
It picked up its first customer in 2008 and has quickly become a $170 million a year business as a protective layer over the screens of 40 million-plus cell phones and other mobile devices. Get the full story »
By Reuters
Two security experts said on Friday they released a tool for attacking smartphones that use Google Inc’s Android operating system to persuade manufacturers to fix a bug that lets hackers read a victim’s email and text messages.
“It wasn’t difficult to build,” said Nicholas Percoco, head of Spider Labs, who along with a colleague, released the tool at the Defcon hacker’s conference in Las Vegas on Friday.
Percoco said it took about two weeks to build the malicious software that could allow criminals to steal precious information from Android smartphones. Get the full story »
By Los Angeles Times
Thought your iPhone-toting friends were always buried in their phones? Seems Droid users are even more active Web surfers, according to a report released this week.
The average Verizon Wireless smart-phone owner gobbles up more of the network’s wireless data each month than AT&T customers, according to a survey of 20,000 cell phone bills by Validas. Get the full story »
By Reuters
Amazon.com launched a cheaper, wireless-only Kindle Wednesday, betting that the $139 price will turn its latest electronic reader into a mass-appeal device as Apple Inc’s iPad gains ground.
The world’s largest online retailer and leading e-reader seller also revealed its third generation Kindle, some 21 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter than the previous version, but still priced at $189.
Amazon does not give sales figures for the Kindle, but said last week that its growth rate tripled after it cut its price on the device from $259 and said e-books were outselling hardcover books. Apple has said it sold more than 3 million iPads, starting at $499, since the product was introduced in April. Get the full story »
July 29, 2010 at 7:22 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer electronics,
Technology,
Wireless
From the New York Times
Online retail giant Amazon.com plans to introduce two new versions of the Kindle e-reader on Thursday, one for $139, the lowest price yet for the device.
By Reuters
Customers will not be able to get their hands on Apple Inc.’s white iPhone 4 until later this year, the company said on Friday, conceding that making the model has proven surprisingly difficult.
Apple, in a brief statement, said that its black iPhone 4 had not been affected. As for the white iPhone, the company said it has “continued to be more challenging to manufacture that we originally expected.” Get the full story »
July 22, 2010 at 6:48 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Consumer electronics,
Consumer news
By CNN
General Motors will distribute OnStar smartphone applications later this year that will allow Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac owners to do things like lock their car doors or start the engine from miles away. Get the full story »
By Reuters
Apple Inc. is likely to announce a fix for the iPhone 4’s reception problems, rather than a recall, at a surprise press conference on the device on Friday, analysts said.
Apple has declined to provide any details about the morning event, called late Wednesday, at its corporate headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Get the full story »
By Reuters
Apple Inc has called a surprise press conference for Friday to talk about the iPhone 4, as the company continues to deal with fallout from reported reception problems on its popular smartphone.
Apple spokesman Steve Dowling declined to provide further details, or to say whether the event will address the signal-strength problems that some people have reported having with the iPhone 4 when the device is held in a certain way. Get the full story »
By Wailin Wong
Motorola shares surged nearly 4 percent this morning on speculation the company may be selling its networks equipment unit to competitor Nokia Siemens.
The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday that Nokia Siemens and Motorola are in talks for the Schaumburg-based company’s networks business, which makes infrastructure and equipment for wireless operators. Get the full story »
By Wailin Wong
Kmart is launching a new program where online reviews of video games will be displayed on store shelves, an initiative aimed at building ties between the chain’s online and in-store gaming fans.
Kmart, owned by Sears Holding Corp., announced the feature on its KmartGamer blog and in a live chat with gaming enthusiasts via Twitter. Get the full story »
By Problem Solver
The results are in. Consumer Reports’ engineers have completed their testing of the iPhone 4 and have deemed it unfit because of poor reception.
“When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone’s lower left side — an easy thing, especially for lefties — the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you’re in an area with a weak signal,” a July 12 Consumer Reports blog post said.
“Due to this problem, we can’t recommend the iPhone 4.”
By Reuters
A monopoly abuse lawsuit against Apple Inc and AT&T Inc’s mobile-phone unit can continue as a class action against the two companies, the Associated Press reported, citing a federal judge. AT&T, the biggest U.S. phone company by revenue and the exclusive U.S. provider for iPhone, has come under withering criticism from iPhone users over its network quality since the smartphone went on sale in 2007. Get the full story »
By Reuters
Research in Motion, maker of BlackBerry smartphone, said it is preparing to launch an applications store and consumer Internet services in China as part of its push into the world’s top mobile market. The upcoming Chinese App World applications store would follow RIM’s May launch of BlackBerry service in China through China Telecom, one of China’s three major carriers. RIM is also developing service for the homegrown third-generation (3G) mobile standard used by leading Chinese carrier China Mobile. Get the full story »
July 7, 2010 at 3:49 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer electronics,
Consumer news,
Technology
By Associated Press
Sony has cut the prices on its electronic-book readers in an effort to keep up with stiff competition from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, which both recently slashed prices on their own e-readers.
