phone

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.

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.

Verizon Introduces “Convenience Fee” for Some Online, Phone Payments

Lauren Goode in Commerce on December 29, 2011 at 1:33 pm PT

There are still plenty of ways to avoid that $2 charge, however.

Year of the Talking Phone and a Cloud That Got Hot

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on December 21, 2011 at 6:04 pm PT

Important new products and services—including Ultrabooks, cloud computing and Android devices—raised questions and anticipation for the year ahead.

Samsung Hires Former AOL and Google Content Exec David Eun to Lead Renewed Media Push

Kara Swisher in Media on December 14, 2011 at 6:20 am PT

The South Korean consumer electronics giant is upping its media game against more aggressive rivals like Google, Apple and Amazon.

Viral Survey Says: No Thanks to Facebook Phone

Kara Swisher in Mobile on November 28, 2011 at 12:07 am PT

In a post last week about what could be in a Facebook smartphone — one in a series about the mobile efforts at the social networking giant — AllThingsD.com asked readers if they wanted one or not (we also offered a “maybe” option).

Galaxy Nexus: An In-Your-Face Android Phone

Katherine Boehret in News on November 22, 2011 at 4:32 pm PT

The Galaxy Nexus from Samsung is the first device to run Google’s Android 4.0 operating system, which is designed to be a blend of the Android phone and tablet operating systems that irons out many geeky wrinkles and includes a facial-recognition feature to unlock the phone.

The Facebook Phone: If It Comes, Will It Already Be Too Late?

Ina Fried in Mobile on November 22, 2011 at 1:00 pm PT

Buffy could be as much as 18 months from hitting the market — an eternity in tech time. By then, will there still be a market for a more social smartphone?