Google’s stock is exactly where it was in September 2007, and it has fallen 9 percent since Eric Schmidt announced in January that he’d be stepping down as CEO. The problem, investors say, is that for every reason to believe in Google, there seems to be a counterbalancing reason for concern. Get the full story »
Inside these posts: Android
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Feds probe data collection by smartphone apps
Music player Pandora's smartphone app for both iPhones (above) and Androids transmitted information about a user's age, gender, and location. (Reuters/Joe Skipper)
Federal prosecutors in New Jersey are investigating whether numerous smartphone applications illegally obtained or transmitted information about their users without proper disclosures, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The criminal investigation is examining whether the app makers fully described to users the types of data they collected and why they needed the information — such as a user’s location or a unique identifier for the phone — the person familiar with the matter said. Collecting information about a user without proper notice or authorization could violate a federal computer-fraud law. Get the full story »
Google working on mobile payment technology
Google is joining Citigroup and Mastercard to set up a mobile payment system that will turn Android phones into a kind of electronic wallet, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Microsoft sues Barnes & Noble over Nook
A customer tries out a Nook electronic book reader at a Barnes and Noble. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Microsoft Corp. sued Barnes & Noble Inc. and the manufacturers of Barnes & Noble’s Nook electronic book device, escalating a series of patent battles over gadgets based on Google Inc.’s Android operating system. Get the full story »
Android climbs to top of smart phone heap
Android is now the most-used smart phone operating system in the United States — a stunning race to the top from a platform that didn’t exist 25 months ago.
Nearly one third, or 31.2 percent, of U.S. smart phones ran Google’s Android OS in January, according to a study released Monday by comScore. That outpaced the 30.4 percent of American smart phone owners who use BlackBerry devices, which are made by Research in Motion. Get the full story »
Analysts: Motorola’s Xoom has plenty of power
Motorola’s new Xoom tablet computer has enough power under the hood to challenge Apple Inc.’s iPad, according to analysis by market researchers IHS iSuppli, but buyers might be disappointed to find that it will need new hardware to work on new, high-speed networks. Get the full story »
3LM partners up to launch Android platform
Three Laws Mobility Inc., a mobile software firm that was just acquired by Libertyville-based Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., has partnered with a number of mobile phone manufacturers to launch a new Android-based platform for enterprise users.
Motorola Mobility just announced its acquisition of Mountainview, Calif.-based 3LM on Monday. The startup, which specializes in Android-based software and products for business users, is operating as its own business unit within Motorola. Get the full story »
Motorola Mobility scoops up security provider 3LM
Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. has acquired a Mountainview, Calif.-based company that makes the Android mobile operating system secure for business environments.
The acquisition will help Motorola sell more Android smart phones to business customers, a realm traditionally dominated by Research In Motion’s BlackBerry. Three Laws Mobility Inc., or 3LM, is a developer of security software and other products for Android. Get the full story »
SI bundles print, mobile subscriptions
Sports Illustrated said Friday that it’s offering new digital subscription plans, including one that bundles the printed magazine with versions that are available online, on Android smart phones and tablets, as well as forthcoming devices.
Time Inc., the owner of the magazine and the publishing arm of Time Warner Inc. , has yet to reach an agreement with Apple Inc., maker of the iPad tablet and iPhone, to sell the subscriptions on iTunes, but its new offerings are part of a broader effort to create a subscription platform that allows customers to sign up once and access publications in any medium, including print. Get the full story »
Sprint to unveil dual-touchscreen smartphone
Sprint Nextel Corp. plans to unveil a smartphone with a twin set of touchscreens made by Kyocera Corp. late Monday, according to a person familiar with the device.
The device, called the Echo, features two 3.5-inch touchscreens that can be stacked side by side to form a pseudo-tablet design. Users can accomplish multiple tasks on the two screens, or drag items from one screen to the other. The phone, which runs on Google Inc.’s Android software, uses a pivot hinge that allows one screen to be tucked under the other, transforming it into a more conventional touchscreen phone. Get the full story »
AT&T to push Motorola Mobility’s Atrix 4G
AT&T Inc. is cozying up to Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. as the carrier seeks to bulk up its smartphone portfolio running on Google Inc.’s Android operating system in the wake of losing its exclusive hold on Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said the coming Motorola Atrix 4G will be the carrier’s leading device in its portfolio. Mr. de la Vega wouldn’t say how much money the carrier will spend on marketing the device, but he said it would receive amounts similar to campaigns for the iPhone. Get the full story »
Motorola Mobility shares rise on AT&T pledge
Motorola Mobility shares rose 5 percent after AT&T Inc. said Motorola’s next product would be its flagship phone as the pair look to compete against the new Apple Inc. iPhone at Verizon Wireless.
AT&T, which first showed off the Motorola Atrix phone January 5, has given up its more than three years of exclusive rights to sell the iPhone. Motorola has been seeking new partners since Verizon, its biggest customer, has selling the phone.
The pairing of Motorola and AT&T was not a surprise for analysts. But after shaving as much as 20 percent off Motorola shares in the days after its earnings report last week, investors showed some relief when AT&T said in a Wall Street Journal story that it would push the phone heavily . Get the full story »
Google’s Android now No. 1 smartphone platform
Google’s Android dethroned Nokia’s Symbian as the most popular smartphone platform in the last quarter of 2010, ending a reign that began with the birth of the industry 10 years ago.
Research firm Canalys said on Monday phonemakers sold 32.9 million Android-equipped phones in the last quarter, roughly seven times more than a year ago, compared with Symbian’s sales of 31 million.
The phones are produced by manufacturers that include Libertyville-based Motorola Mobility, Samsung and HTC. Get the full story »
New IRS smart phone app to track tax refunds
The Internal Tax Revenue introduced its first smart phone app on Monday, called IRS2Go, which allows taxpayers to check the status of their refunds and find other tax information.
IRS2Go is a step toward “modernizing the agency and engaging taxpayers where they want when they want it,” the IRS said a press release. Get the full story »
