cell phones

U.S. Agency Proposes Total Ban on Talking and Texting While Driving

Ina Fried in Mobile on December 13, 2011 at 12:08 pm PT

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for a nationwide ban on drivers’ use of portable electronics, with the exception of those that aid with driving itself.

Sony to Buy Out Ericsson in Cellphone Joint Venture

Ina Fried in Mobile on October 27, 2011 at 2:36 am PT

Sony will pay 1.05 billion euros to Ericsson to get full control of the 10-year-old handset maker.

Leap Wireless Taking Cricket Nationwide With Best Buy, Other Retailers

Ina Fried in Mobile on September 21, 2011 at 10:07 pm PT

Cricket phones, including those with the company’s Muve Music subscription service, will hit Best Buy shelves this week, with additional national retailers to follow.

Facebook Bars Jailbirds

Liz Gannes in Social on August 9, 2011 at 9:57 am PT

Now among the liberties stripped from convicted California felons: Access to Facebook.

World Health Organization Unit Warns Cellphones May Cause Cancer

Ina Fried in Mobile on May 31, 2011 at 11:00 am PT

A unit within the World Health Organization on Tuesday warned that the radiation stemming from cellphones is possibly cancer-causing, citing a new analysis of existing published studies. Naturally, the cell phone industry trade group took issue with the finding.

Creepy Japanese Humanoid Cellphone Threatens Mobilized’s Friday Productivity

Ina Fried in Mobile on March 4, 2011 at 9:15 am PT

Researchers in Japan have created the Elfoid–a cell phone with a vaguely human shape and skin-like texture. Read the full story for all the icky details.

Don’t Read This While Driving: T-Mobile Launches Safe Driving App

Ina Fried in Mobile on January 19, 2011 at 8:10 am PT

The carrier plans to offer a service called DriveSmart Plus that detects when a phone is in a moving car and disables most calling and texting functions.

Nielsen: Young People Across The Globe Love Their Cell Phones (But Use Them Differently)

Ina Fried in Mobile on January 11, 2011 at 3:00 am PT

According to a a new report, China is the biggest spot for the mobile Internet, with 73 percent of Chinese youths age 15 to 24 citing mobile Internet usage as among the things they used their cell phones for in the past month. That compares to less than half of American and British young people and less than a quarter of those in the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, young women in most countries were more likely than males to send text or picture messages, although the opposite was true in India, China and Brazil.

Inspector Gadget: Are Electronic Gizmos Power Vampires?

Ana Campoy, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on May 14, 2009 at 11:27 am PT

Cell phones and laptops may seem like pretty minor offenders when it comes to energy guzzling. But as they become ubiquitous all over the planet, their growing power consumption is emerging as a major source of concern for those trying to conserve energy and stop global warming.

“Vidification” and Samsung’s Rosy TV Outlook

Andrew LaVallee, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on March 19, 2009 at 7:21 am PT

With the economy affecting all manner of consumer spending, it’s a little surprising to hear upbeat commentary from the flat-panel sector. But according to Scott Birnbaum, vice president of Samsung’s LCD unit, its sales are benefiting from “vidification,” a term he uses to describe consumers trying to create a big-screen experience at home.