cellphone

Voyager Mobile, a 22-Year-Old’s Cellphone Start-Up, Launches After Delay

Ina Fried in Mobile on May 20 at 11:18 am PT

It’s a few days later than he had hoped, but John Mardini’s cellphone start-up is open for business.

Your Smartphone as Superman: 86 Percent Use Phones for “Just-in-Time” Situations

Lauren Goode in Mobile on May 7 at 9:39 am PT

Arguing over fact sets or finding yourself in a sticky situation? Your smartphone, to the rescue.

News Byte

Sprint’s Virgin Mobile Tries “Open Enrollment” for Cellphone Insurance

Ina Fried in Mobile on May 1 at 7:18 am PT

Although Virgin Mobile normally requires those who want to insure their cellphone to do so when they buy the device, the prepaid carrier is offering its customers a second chance. The company is running an “open enrollment” through the end of May, allowing any customer to sign up for a $5-per-month program that covers loss, theft and damage.

JuiceTank Aims to Juice Up Your Phone, Without a Cord

Lauren Goode in Product News on March 20 at 2:40 pm PT

Begone, iPhone battery drainage! (Assuming you have access to a wall outlet …)

Not Surprisingly, U.S. Teens Are Texting More, Talking Less

Lauren Goode in News on March 19 at 10:32 am PT

OMG, ICYMI: Teens are texting more, and shunning uncool “landlines.”

Jamming Annoying Cellphone Talkers, Though Appealing, Remains Illegal

Ina Fried in Mobile on March 6 at 3:50 pm PT

In the wake of reports that people are creating “quiet zones” on buses and trains, federal regulators issue a reminder that such efforts, while arguably a benefit to society, are against the law.

House Bill Would Require Cellphone Owners Be Notified of Tracking Software

Ina Fried in Mobile on January 30 at 11:50 am PT

The move follows the uproar last year over software from Carrier IQ that collected various information about cellphone usage.

News Byte

More Than 50 Percent of U.S. Adults Used Cellphone for Holiday Shopping

Lauren Goode in News on January 30 at 7:44 am PT

A new report from Pew Research Center says that more than 50 percent of U.S. adult cellphone owners surveyed used their devices for shopping purposes while they were in a store this past holiday season. Some 38 percent of cellphone owners called a friend for purchasing advice; 24 percent looked up online product reviews; and 25 percent used their phones to try to find better deals elsewhere or online. In early January, IBM Research reported that mobile shopping in December 2011 doubled from the same holiday shopping period the year before.

What Happens, Rarely, if You Leave Cellphone on at a Classical Concert (Video)

Ina Fried in Mobile on January 23 at 10:25 am PT

A violinist, interrupted by a cellphone ringing in a familiar Nokia tone, decides to play along, literally.

Voices

A Loss for Apple in Motorola Suit

Drew FitzGerald in Mobile on January 14 at 8:52 am PT

Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. welcomed a ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission that denied patent-infringement allegations raised by Apple Inc.