phone

Twilio Taps Say Media Vet Kirkpatrick as CFO

Arik Hesseldahl in News on May 14 at 5:00 am PT

Global expansion means it’s time to get serious about managing the finances. But first? Build a Twilio app.

It’s Big, It’s Blue, It’s Windows, but Can It Beat Rival Phones?

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on April 3 at 6:01 pm PT

Nokia’s Lumia 900 is an improved version of a Windows phone, but it has some flaws.

Is the iPhone 4S Really 4G?

Walt Mossberg in Mossberg’s Mailbox on April 3 at 5:37 pm PT

Walt answers a reader’s question on why the iPhone 4S sometimes indicates it’s on 4G.

Put Down the Phone and Learn to Be Alone (And to Listen), Says Sherry Turkle at TED

Liz Gannes in Social on March 1 at 1:19 pm PT

All this time spent communicating digitally gives us “the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship,” according to psychologist Sherry Turkle.

Another Ginormous Android Phone, This Time From LG

Ina Fried in Mobile on February 19 at 8:59 am PT

Samsung is apparently not alone in seeing a market for phones with a 5-inch screen. LG’s Optimus Vu is slated to start shipping in Korea next month,

Mobile Device That’s Better for a Jotter Than a Talker

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on February 15 at 6:02 pm PT

Walt tests the Samsung Galaxy Note, a phone-tablet hybrid with a large screen that uses a stylus as well as your fingers.

News Byte

Details on Microsoft Windows Phone 8 Leaked

Lauren Goode in Mobile on February 2 at 2:29 pm PT

Windows Phone 8, Microsoft’s next mobile operating system, is expected to include support for multicore processors, microSD card storage and NFC capabilities, Pocketnow.com reports, citing a leaked video hosted by senior vice president and Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore. While the current version features a similar “Metro” user interface as Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS for desktops, it uses a Windows CE core that is quite different from desktop Windows. Windows Phone 8, according to the leaks, will be based on a desktop Windows core. Windows Phone 8 is rumored to be launching sometime in the fourth quarter; Microsoft declined to comment on the reports.

Talk Is Cheap and Reliable on Nokia’s $50 Phone

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on January 18 at 6:03 pm PT

Walt reviews Nokia’s Lumia 710, the $50 device that gets the most common smartphone tasks done for a bargain price.

Voices

To Mute or Not to Mute? (Comic)

Nitrozac and Snaggy in Voices on January 17 at 4:41 pm PT

Here is the latest comic from our Joy of Tech friends at Geek Culture, Nitrozac and Snaggy. Joy of Tech appears three times a week in the Voices section of this site.