AllThingsD » smartphones http://allthingsd.com Sat, 26 May 2012 19:52:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://allthingsd.com/theme/images/logo-rss.jpg All Things Digital http://allthingsd.com/ 144 22 FCC to Public: Is Your Cellphone Carrier Adequately Protecting Your Information? http://allthingsd.com/20120525/fcc-to-public-is-your-cell-phone-carrier-adequately-protecting-your-information/ http://allthingsd.com/20120525/fcc-to-public-is-your-cell-phone-carrier-adequately-protecting-your-information/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 20:11:28 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=212653 The Federal Communications Commission on Friday asked the public for comment on whether cellphone carriers need to do a better job of protecting the kinds of information being gathered on modern smartphones.

Shutterstock/Péter Gudella

One of the agency’s mandates is to make sure that the carriers are securely protecting the information they collect from their customers. For example, phone companies have to protect the databases that store the information on call records and other data.

The question on what steps they must take when it comes to information on devices is a tricker one. The FCC looked into this question back in 2007. At the time, the carriers contended that information stored on phones wasn’t information they were collecting, but rather data being voluntarily entered by consumers.

However, the FCC thinks it might be time to revisit this given revelations last year that there is software, such as that from Carrier IQ, that is preinstalled and collecting information that users are largely unaware of and unable to control.

“Since the Commission last solicited public input on this question five years ago, technologies and business practices have evolved dramatically,” the FCC said in the document seeking comments. “The devices consumers use to access mobile wireless networks have become more sophisticated and powerful, and their expanded capabilities have at times been used by wireless providers to collect information about particular customers’ use of the network — sometimes, it appears, without informing the customer.”

The FCC isn’t taking issue with the collection of such information, but rather is examining what duties the carriers might have to encrypt or protect such information. Carrier IQ doesn’t encrypt the data it collects, but does store it in a binary format not generally accessible to other applications, the company said.

“We haven’t gone to that extent because we haven’t needed to,” Carrier IQ Vice President Andrew Coward told AllThingsD on Friday. “If the industry decided we needed to, then we would take that step.”

Carrier IQ is also taking steps to allow customers to see the information that is being collected about them by their software.

Following the comment period, the FCC could decide to, among other things, take no action, clarify its existing rules or propose new rules.

[Image via Shutterstock / Péter Gudella]

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120525/fcc-to-public-is-your-cell-phone-carrier-adequately-protecting-your-information/feed/ 0 Orange Exec: Android, Windows Phone and iPhones Are Gas Guzzlers and Developing World Needs a Prius http://allthingsd.com/20120525/orange-exec-android-windows-phone-and-iphones-are-gas-guzzlers-and-developing-world-needs-a-prius/ http://allthingsd.com/20120525/orange-exec-android-windows-phone-and-iphones-are-gas-guzzlers-and-developing-world-needs-a-prius/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 19:25:39 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=212591 For most of the past few years, Yves Maitre has lead the effort to ensure its Orange cellphone customers in places like Britain and France have the right selection of phones.

And when it comes to the company’s major markets in Western Europe, Maitre said things are in pretty good shape. Windows Phone, Android and iOS have paved the way for a solid set of options for both high-end devices and even midrange ones, often sold prepaid and, in some cases, under the Orange brand name.

But when it comes to serving the next 6 billion potential smartphone customers, Maitre said that none of the major operating systems is really lightweight enough from either a cost perspective or from the amount of bandwidth consumed.

In an interview Thursday, Maitre likened it to when he was growing up in France and his family had a two-cylinder Citroen. He idolized the huge eight-cylinder cars coming out of Detroit in the 1970s. And while those cars did enjoy a moment in the sun, the world realized that with more cars out there, gas wasn’t unlimited.

In the end, the car makers like Toyota that created fuel-efficient vehicles fared better.

While conventional wisdom is that low-cost Android devices will bring smartphones to the developing world, Maitre says even Google’s OS is too resource intensive. It may have started out as a four-cylinder or six-cylinder car, he says, but with the latest Ice Cream Sandwich release it is every bit the gas guzzler that iOS and Windows Phone are.

Maitre said that Orange is committed to building 3G networks in all of its markets, but that it needs more energy efficient vehicles, if you will.

“I cannot run an eight-cylinder car because it is too expensive,” said Maitre, a senior vice president at France Telecom’s Orange unit. The average selling price of phones in Orange’s developing markets is $54. And while customers might be willing to spend an extra $30 to get a smartphone, they can’t spend another $100.

“If we are not in a position to give them a smartphone at $80, we will miss the six billion,” Maitre said, adding that Orange is committed to having smartphones that hit that price. “If I cannot have Microsoft on it, if I cannot have Android, if I cannot have iOS, then I will look somewhere else, mostly likely in China,” Maitre said.

Already the company is looking at a variety of options including Mozilla’s Boot-to-Gecko project and mobile Linux options like Tizen, in addition to low-cost Android variants coming out of China.

Phones also must become more bandwidth-efficient, Maitre said, because, like gas for cars, bandwidth is a limited commodity.

Today, he said, there are about a billion people crowding the airwaves, most of whom use less than one gigabyte of data per month.

“Tomorrow, seven billion people will use bandwidth and all use [in the range of] five or six gigabits,” he said. “The bandwidth will start to become a very valuable resource.”

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120525/orange-exec-android-windows-phone-and-iphones-are-gas-guzzlers-and-developing-world-needs-a-prius/feed/ 0 Mobile Devices Now Make Up About 20 Percent of U.S. Web Traffic http://allthingsd.com/20120525/mobile-devices-now-make-up-about-20-percent-of-u-s-web-traffic/ http://allthingsd.com/20120525/mobile-devices-now-make-up-about-20-percent-of-u-s-web-traffic/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 16:15:33 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=212532 Mobile Web browsing continues to take off, with smartphones and tablets accounting for 20 percent of Web traffic in the U.S. and Canada, according to a new report.

The analysis, from online advertising network Chitika, finds that those stodgy old PCs still produce just under 80 percent of Web traffic, with smartphones accounting for 14.6 percent and tablets making up 5.6 percent.

Other findings of note, Windows Phone now accounts for a third as much traffic as BlackBerry devices. Undoubtedly its market share is far less than that, but its more powerful browser and larger screen likely make it more conducive to Web surfing.

Also, as it has seen in the past, Chitika said that tablet and mobile phone Internet usage peak in the evening hours. That’s when people leave their computers for a bit and pretend to have a real life, while nonetheless staring at their phones or sitting on the couch watching TV and simultaneously pawing an iPad.

Speaking of iPads, Chitika says that 95 percent of tablet Web traffic comes from an Apple device, compared to phones, where Apple’s share is 72 percent, compared to 26 percent for Android devices.

On the desktop, Chitika says that just over 85 percent of Web traffic comes from Windows machines, compared with slightly more than 13 percent stemming from Macs.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120525/mobile-devices-now-make-up-about-20-percent-of-u-s-web-traffic/feed/ 0 Google+ Android App All Dolled Up and Ready to Hangout http://allthingsd.com/20120524/google-android-app-all-dolled-up-and-ready-to-hangout/ http://allthingsd.com/20120524/google-android-app-all-dolled-up-and-ready-to-hangout/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 18:29:30 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=212109 Google released an updated version of its Google+ app for Android today, and it sure looks pretty.

The revamped social networking app presents a sleeker user interface that’s easy on the eyes, with a bolder font and smooth animations.

Photos and video are also displayed in full screen in your stream, for a more visually appealing experience. If you happen to come across a photo in your stream that strikes your fancy, you even have the ability to download the image right from Google+ and use it as your wallpaper.

Google also made some changes to make the app easier to use. You can now “+1” a post right from the main page, and edit posts inline. And a new navigation ribbon that slides in and out gives you quicker access to the app’s other functions.

All of these enhancements were rolled out to the iOS (Apple’s mobile operating system) app earlier this month, but one feature unique to the Android version is the ability to create a “Hangout” video chatroom.

Hangout is a function in Google+ that allows you to make a video call to a group of people. Previously, you could only join a Hangout call in progress using the app, but now you can create them using the new navigation ribbon. There’s even an option to ring a contact’s phone when a Hangout request is sent.

Vic Gundotra, senior vice president of social at Google, said all of today’s improvements were made in the company’s quest to create “a simpler, more beautiful Google.” I’d say the company was pretty successful in achieving that goal.

You can try it out for yourself by downloading the new Google+ app for Android from the Google Play Store.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120524/google-android-app-all-dolled-up-and-ready-to-hangout/feed/ 2 For Hire: Good Virtual Assistant for Android http://allthingsd.com/20120524/for-hire-good-virtual-assistant-for-android/ http://allthingsd.com/20120524/for-hire-good-virtual-assistant-for-android/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 13:01:01 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=211165 When the iPhone 4S first came out, one of its most talked-about features was Siri, the smartphone’s voice-controlled virtual assistant. The concept wasn’t new, but what made Siri special was that it understood everyday language and responded with contextual answers. Android phone users might have felt envious of Siri. But there’s no need to be jealous.

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III will come with its own Siri-like feature called S Voice, but for other Android phone owners, there are a number of virtual assistant apps available from the Google Play Store. I spent this past week testing two of them, Vlingo and Speaktoit Assistant, on the HTC One X from AT&T. The apps aren’t exclusive to Android. Vlingo first launched on BlackBerry in 2008, and also works with Symbian and Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Meanwhile, Speaktoit began on Android in 2011, and now supports iOS, with a Windows Phone app arriving in June.


[ See post to watch video ]

Both of the Android apps are free and let you perform multiple tasks using voice commands. Speaktoit is more conversational, capable of using context to answer questions like Siri does, but it needs a bit of training to work with casual phrases, which Siri does without training. Vlingo, on the other hand, performs better, but lacks the ability to create calendar appointments, which is an important feature for a virtual assistant, thus tipping the scale in Speaktoit’s favor.

Of the two, Vlingo is definitely more of your no-nonsense personal assistant. It doesn’t offer any friendly banter; in fact, unless you press the Read button or turn on the SafeReader function to read incoming messages, it doesn’t talk back to you at all.

Vlingo’s list of abilities includes basic tasks, like dialing contacts, as well as more specialized requests, such as buying movie tickets. However, it seems to me that the app’s inability to create new appointments should be a key feature of a virtual assistant app.

This became especially clear over the past week as I was planning a surprise birthday party. In all the chaos, it would have been nice to create appointments with Vlingo. As it was, Vlingo didn’t understand the command “Create new appointment,” and searched the Web instead.

Vlingo says that while the ability to create appointments and alarms is a frequently requested feature, it does not have details about when this function might roll out.

This is an unfortunate drawback of an otherwise solid app, as Vlingo’s voice-recognition software was accurate from the start. When dictating messages, I appreciated that the app capitalized letters at the beginning of a sentence, inserted apostrophes where appropriate, and understood commands for adding text to the subject line. Speaktoit does not do any of this.

You can use Vlingo to update your Facebook status, send tweets, and check into Foursquare, as well. I sent a tweet using Vlingo, and I liked that it brought up a separate window, so I could attach a photo, whereas Speaktoit only gives you the option to send.

Be aware that you will have to log into your social networks and email accounts on both apps, so they can perform such functions as accessing your address book for voice dialing. Both companies say they do not collect any personal data without a user’s permission or disclosure, but earlier this year, Vlingo was hit with several software bugs that resulted in the app gathering more data than intended. The company has since tightened its security protocols to fix the issue.

One other unique feature about Vlingo is its InCar mode. Though still in its beta, or testing, stage, you can use this mode to call, compose and send text messages or navigate to a place, all by voice. As long as you have the app open, you can say, “Hey Vlingo” to launch the voice-recognition system.

Speaktoit Assistant is an app that’s more like Siri in that it offers more personality when answering questions; it even adds a human touch with a customizable avatar. You can choose between a male or female assistant, and change its hair, voice and more. There’s also a simple microphone if you find the avatars to be cheesy.

Right from the beginning, Speaktoit looks to get more personal by asking for your name. Unfortunately, my assistant Sam and I didn’t get off to a good start, after she interpreted “body” for “Bonnie.” After four tries, I finally gave up and typed in my name. (We made up after I asked Sam to be my best friend, and she said, “I thought we already were.”)

Speaktoit uses Google’s voice-recognition system (Vlingo uses its own, but you can switch to Google), and the first few rounds can be rough. However, the system learns your voice as you continue to use it, so accuracy should improve over time. I found this to be the case in my testing.

Even so, there’s a bit of a learning curve with using Speaktoit. While the app says you can ask questions as you normally would in real life, I found that’s not necessarily true. For example, I asked, “How deep is the Pacific Ocean?” and Sam said, “I’m still learning about that myself, Bonnie. As soon as I know, you’ll know.” But if I asked, “Find depth of Pacific Ocean,” Speaktoit brought up Google search results.

Once you learn these tricks, Speaktoit serves as a good virtual assistant. It has several advantages over Vlingo, including the fact that it reads back answers out loud. The app also does a better job with location-based requests. With Speaktoit, you can ask, “What is today’s weather?” and get the forecast for your current location, but with Vlingo, you have to include the city in your question.

To be sure, neither Vlingo nor Speaktoit Assistant is perfect. Thankfully, they’re free, so you can try both. But with a bit of time and training, Speaktoit is a more capable virtual assistant, with its talk-back abilities, full calendar management, and better location-based results.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120524/for-hire-good-virtual-assistant-for-android/feed/ 7 AT&T Taps Samsung Galaxy Appeal as Latest Prepaid Smartphone http://allthingsd.com/20120523/att-taps-samsung-galaxy-appeal-as-latest-prepaid-smartphone/ http://allthingsd.com/20120523/att-taps-samsung-galaxy-appeal-as-latest-prepaid-smartphone/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 19:23:43 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=211637 Warm up your thumbs, AT&T customers. The carrier just announced the Samsung Galaxy Appeal, the first of its GoPhone prepaid smartphones to have a sliding physical keyboard. The Android device also features a 3.2-inch touchscreen and a three-megapixel camera. It’s also eco-friendly, as the phone’s plastic parts are made of 80 percent recycled materials. The Galaxy Appeal costs $150 and will be available in Walmart stores starting June 5, and in AT&T stores on July 15.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120523/att-taps-samsung-galaxy-appeal-as-latest-prepaid-smartphone/feed/ 0 AT&T Shuffles Resources in New York in Push for Faster Data, Fewer Dropped Calls http://allthingsd.com/20120523/att-shuffles-resources-in-new-york-in-push-for-faster-data-fewer-dropped-calls/ http://allthingsd.com/20120523/att-shuffles-resources-in-new-york-in-push-for-faster-data-fewer-dropped-calls/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 16:31:11 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=211500 Aiming to improve its service in New York City, AT&T said on Wednesday that it is shifting some of its bandwidth away from older networks and toward its newer 3G and 4G networks.

The company said it is contacting customers on its older 2G network and providing upgrade offers in an effort to get them onto one of the newer networks.

“Dedicating more capacity to our advanced wireless networks will help more of our customers in New York City have a better experience overall,” AT&T regional general manager Tom DeVito said in a statement. “By re-allocating network resources from our 2G network to support our newer, advanced networks, we’re moving capacity to support the voice and mobile internet services our customers want.”

New York and San Francisco, in particular, have long been trouble spots for AT&T customers.

AT&T has been doing a number of things to improve service in those cities and in other areas. Adding cell towers is one option, but doing so typically requires approval at the local level for each new tower. Carriers are also pursuing other new tricks, including the use of smaller cells as well as building up Wi-Fi “hot zones” to help off-load traffic.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120523/att-shuffles-resources-in-new-york-in-push-for-faster-data-fewer-dropped-calls/feed/ 0 Sprint Looks to Lure New Customers With iPhone 4S Promotion http://allthingsd.com/20120518/sprint-looks-to-lure-new-customers-with-iphone-4s-promotion/ http://allthingsd.com/20120518/sprint-looks-to-lure-new-customers-with-iphone-4s-promotion/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 22:58:26 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=210125 If you’re looking to leave Verizon after the carrier’s recent suggestion of limiting existing unlimited data plans, Sprint would be happy to have you, and even has an enticing offer to make you switch.

For a limited time, customers can bring their iPhones, regardless of carrier, to any Sprint store and receive $100 off the purchase of an iPhone 4S with the activation of a new line (upgrades are not included in this promotion).

New customers can receive their discount in two ways. You can either reserve the smartphone online and receive an instant $100 discount when you pick it up in the store and bring in your old iPhone, or you can purchase the phone online and then fill out a trade-in form to receive a credit to your account.

More than the discount, though, it may be Sprint’s unlimited data plans that attract new customers. Just this week, a Verizon executive suggested that subscribers who have existing unlimited data plans might not be able to keep them if they decide to upgrade their phone once the carrier’s new shared data plans arrive later this summer. Meanwhile, Sprint gives existing and new customers unlimited access to data on their smartphones.

Sprint’s iPhone 4S promotion begins today for a limited time, but the carrier did not reveal when the offer will end.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120518/sprint-looks-to-lure-new-customers-with-iphone-4s-promotion/feed/ 3 Verizon Unlimited Users' Plans Not Going Away, but Options Likely to Narrow http://allthingsd.com/20120517/verizon-unlimited-users-plans-not-going-away-but-options-likely-to-narrow/ http://allthingsd.com/20120517/verizon-unlimited-users-plans-not-going-away-but-options-likely-to-narrow/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 15:28:30 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=209378 Verizon hasn’t offered unlimited data plans for a while now, but it has lots and lots of customers still on them.

So, naturally, there was much kerfuffle on Wednesday after reports that Verizon was planning to ax plans, even for those grandfathered in. The reports stemmed from comments made by Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo at an investor conference.

Thing is, he didn’t actually say that those on plans would lose them. However, he did suggest that those looking to upgrade to a 4G LTE smartphone would soon be unable to take their plan on to a new phone.

Until now, Verizon has been letting those with unlimited plans move to 4G and keep their plan. Shammo said that will come to an end once the company introduces shared data plans this summer.

“So when you think about our 3G base, a lot of our 3G base is unlimited,” Shammo said. “As they start to migrate into 4G, they will have to come off of unlimited and go into the data share plan.”

But those who have unlimited plans and are okay with keeping their 3G phones are likely to be able to keep their plan. My understanding is that there are Verizon customers on 10-year-old rate plans and, so long as they are happy with their phone, no one will force them to change plans.

In a statement on Thursday, Verizon Wireless didn’t exactly clear things up entirely, but suggested that there will be fair warning before anything changes.

As we have stated publicly, Verizon Wireless has been re-evaluating its data pricing structure for some time, Customers have told us that they want to share data, similar to how they share minutes today. We are working on plans to provide customers with that option later this year.

We will share specific details of the plans and any related policy changes well in advance of their introduction, so customers will have time to evaluate their choices and make the best decisions for their wireless service. It is our goal and commitment to continue to provide customers with the same high value service they have come to expect from Verizon Wireless.

That said, if you have an unlimited plan and think you might want to move to 4G, it’s probably best to do so now.

Update: I got a few more details on how this will be rolled out. First of all, Verizon is saying definitively that customers that are on an unlimited plan and want to keep it with their existing phone can do so.

What will happen is that once shared data plans arrive, unlimited data customers won’t be able to upgrade to a new phone at a discount and keep their unlimited plan. Should they want to, customers could opt to pay the full unsubsidized price for a new phone (3G or 4G) and keep their unlimited data plan.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120517/verizon-unlimited-users-plans-not-going-away-but-options-likely-to-narrow/feed/ 0 The Era of AppNation Has Arrived http://allthingsd.com/20120516/the-era-of-appnation-has-arrived/ http://allthingsd.com/20120516/the-era-of-appnation-has-arrived/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 23:59:49 +0000 Beth Callaghan http://allthingsd.com/?p=209097 Judging by two of the most hyped deals in recent Silicon Valley history — Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion and Zynga’s acquisition of Draw Something for $200 million — it seems like a foregone conclusion that the era of the app has arrived.

And some new numbers from Nielsen that chronicle the rise of “AppNation” on Android and iOS between March 2011 and March 2012 back up that notion. The study shows the average number of apps per smartphone has jumped from 32 apps to 41, and growth in time spent on app usage outpacing the growth in mobile Web usage on smartphones by a hefty margin.

And while Nielsen’s measure of the top five apps — Facebook, YouTube, Android Market, Google Search and Gmail — remained constant, the rest of the top 50 was more of an open playing field, with more than 20 percent of the remaining spots entering as new players, and plenty of maneuvering going on.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120516/the-era-of-appnation-has-arrived/feed/ 0 Google to Expand Mobile-Device Partnerships http://allthingsd.com/20120515/google-to-expand-mobile-device-partnerships/ http://allthingsd.com/20120515/google-to-expand-mobile-device-partnerships/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 21:30:35 +0000 Amir Efrati http://allthingsd.com/?p=208596 Google Inc. plans to give multiple mobile-device makers — rather than just one partner — early access to new releases of its Android mobile operating system and to sell those devices directly to consumers, said people familiar with the matter.

Google’s strategy is a shift from its previous practice, when it partnered with only one hardware maker at a time to produce seven “lead devices” that showed off the newest Android software features, before releasing the software to other device makers. The change is a bid to exert more control over the apps that run on smartphones and tablets powered by Android, thus reducing the influence of wireless carriers over such devices, these people said.

Read the rest of this post on the original site »

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120515/google-to-expand-mobile-device-partnerships/feed/ 0 Nokia Hopes Pair of Cheap Phones Will Help Regain Some Ground in Emerging Markets http://allthingsd.com/20120515/nokia-hopes-pair-of-cheap-phones-will-help-regain-some-ground-in-emerging-markets/ http://allthingsd.com/20120515/nokia-hopes-pair-of-cheap-phones-will-help-regain-some-ground-in-emerging-markets/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 09:38:15 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=208222 Aiming to bolster its position in low-end devices, Nokia on Tuesday offered up two new phones for emerging markets.

The Nokia 110 and 112 are both dual-SIM, 1.8-inch-screen phones that offer basic Internet access as well as connections to Facebook and Twitter and a collection of bundled games from Electronic Arts. Compression technology can help cut data use by as much as 90 percent, Nokia said.

“Today’s mobile phone users want a quick internet experience that allows them to discover great content and share it with their friends — but without being held back by high data costs,” Executive VP Mary McDowell said in a statement.

The 110 is priced at 35 euros and is set to ship this quarter, while the 112 is estimated to sell for 38 euros and is due to ship next quarter.

While Nokia’s woes in the smartphone market have been well documented, the company has also been losing ground in the lower-end feature-phone market — a key source of company profits.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120515/nokia-hopes-pair-of-cheap-phones-will-help-regain-some-ground-in-emerging-markets/feed/ 0 Court Issues Mixed Ruling in Apple-Samsung Patent Case http://allthingsd.com/20120514/court-issues-mixed-ruling-in-apple-samsung-patent-case/ http://allthingsd.com/20120514/court-issues-mixed-ruling-in-apple-samsung-patent-case/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 19:46:07 +0000 Brent Kendall http://allthingsd.com/?p=207808 In a mixed ruling, a federal appeals court on Monday revived Apple Inc.’s bid to block U.S. sales of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab tablet computer, but rejected other Apple legal claims that sought to bar sales of Samsung smartphones.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled a California trial judge was too quick to deny Apple’s request to temporarily block the sales of Samsung tablets while Apple’s patent-infringement claims against its rival proceed in court.

Read the rest of this post on the original site »

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120514/court-issues-mixed-ruling-in-apple-samsung-patent-case/feed/ 0 Huawei Aims to Be Smarter About Its Phone Branding http://allthingsd.com/20120511/huawei-aims-to-be-smarter-about-its-phone-branding/ http://allthingsd.com/20120511/huawei-aims-to-be-smarter-about-its-phone-branding/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:39 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=206820 China’s Huawei has been a rapidly growing force in the global smartphone market, but remains little known to most U.S. consumers.

The company hopes to change that — not just by stepping up sales, but also through a big marketing campaign set to kick off in the second half of the year.

In an interview at the CTIA trade show in New Orleans on Thursday, Huawei Executive Vice President James Jiang said the company has high hopes for the American market.

“We have ambitions to be one of the top players in this market and globalwise,” Jiang said. The company last year sold $1 billion worth of devices, double that of the prior year. It has said it hopes to ship 60 million smartphones globally this year.

Like fellow Chinese phone maker ZTE, Huawei has been steadily building its business from unbranded phones and laptop cards to smartphones bearing the company’s own name.

The company introduced a range of new phones at Mobile World Congress, ranging from mid-range and youth-oriented devices to its high-end quad core Ascend.

“We hope to bring the entire line to the U.S.,” Jiang said. “It takes some time.”

Its planned advertising campaign hasn’t yet been set, but Jiang said it’s leaning toward a tag line that has something to do with “smart”-ness, given its focus on smartphones. In addition to advertising, Huawei plans concert sponsorships and other promotions.

The company also plans to start selling Windows Phone-based devices later this year, though it will probably start outside the U.S., Jiang said. Huawei has started making its own chips for phones and tablets, though Jiang said that the company has no plans to sell to other device makers for now. It also will remain a big buyer of chips from Qualcomm and Texas Instruments, he said.

Outside the U.S., Huawei sells a large amount of network infrastructure gear, but security concerns from the federal government have kept the company from being able to do so here.

“The U.S. is our developing market,” North American R&D chief John Roese said in an interview earlier this month. “It’s the place we have to figure out how to navigate.”

In the meantime, Huawei is building up a business selling networking gear to businesses, one that it hopes will eventually become significant. It has already grabbed 18 percent of the global router market, having launched in major markets.

“It makes us relevant to the discussion,” Roese said. “People have to at least consider us.”

Huawei announced this week that it has signed its first U.S. distributor for its enterprise gear.

“Getting that distribution is big statement,” Roese said. “This market is not out of reach.”

Roese spoke at last year’s AsiaD conference in Hong Kong outlining the company’s opportunities and the challenges it has faced in cracking the U.S. market. Check out the video below for the highlights, or here for the full interview.


[ See post to watch video ]

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120511/huawei-aims-to-be-smarter-about-its-phone-branding/feed/ 0 Bill Clinton Highlights Global Cellular Success Stories as CTIA 2012 Wraps Up http://allthingsd.com/20120510/bill-clinton-highlights-global-cellular-success-stories-as-ctia-2012-wraps-up/ http://allthingsd.com/20120510/bill-clinton-highlights-global-cellular-success-stories-as-ctia-2012-wraps-up/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 19:56:06 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=206723 Former President Bill Clinton spoke Thursday on how the growing ubiquity of cellphones is dramatically changing lives throughout the world.

In the final speech of the CTIA trade show in New Orleans, Clinton talked about how cellphones are enabling the first banking in Haiti, allowing people to detect counterfeit drugs in Africa and connecting refugees throughout the globe.

Wireless technology is also going to help in America’s battle to control healthcare costs, which now account for 18 percent of U.S. spending.

Clinton also spoke about the need for bipartisanship and the consequences that can and do occur when people don’t work together to solve the tough problems facing society. He pointed to examples in Costa Rica and Brazil where people of different viewpoints are coming together even on issues with no clear solution.

The 42nd president began his talk on a light note, pointing out that among the findings of the genome project is that most humans have between 1 percent and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA.

“My wife and daughter weren’t surprised,” Clinton quipped. “They already knew I was part Neanderthal, but they were stunned to find they were too.”

Just a reminder, even though CTIA wraps up later on Thursday, our coverage will continue in the coming days as we share some interesting stories we found through meetings and our tour of the show floor.

(Thanks to Taylor Hatmaker for the photo.)

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120510/bill-clinton-highlights-global-cellular-success-stories-as-ctia-2012-wraps-up/feed/ 0 HTC Evo 4G LTE Set to Arrive May 18 http://allthingsd.com/20120509/htc-evo-4g-lte-set-to-arrive-may-18/ http://allthingsd.com/20120509/htc-evo-4g-lte-set-to-arrive-may-18/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 21:19:00 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=206261 Sprint’s newest 4G Android smartphone, the HTC Evo 4G LTE, will be available starting May 18 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. The smartphone will be compatible with the carrier’s new 4G network when it launches later this year. It runs the latest version of Android, and its highlights include a 4.7-inch high-definition touchscreen, an eight-megapixel camera and a built-in kickstand. If you already know this is the phone for you, Sprint is taking preorders now.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120509/htc-evo-4g-lte-set-to-arrive-may-18/feed/ 0 Foursquare Joins the Coupon Craze http://allthingsd.com/20120509/foursquare-joins-the-coupon-craze/ http://allthingsd.com/20120509/foursquare-joins-the-coupon-craze/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:02 +0000 Spencer E. Ante http://allthingsd.com/?p=205830 Foursquare doesn’t want to be another popular — but unprofitable — social network. Its new plan to make money? Personalized coupons.

The company, which lets users alert their friends to their location by “checking in” via smartphone from coffee shops, bars and other locations, revealed for the first time that it plans to let merchants buy special placement for promotions of personalized local offers in July in a redesigned version of its app. All users will be able to see the specials, but must check into the venue to redeem them.

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120509/foursquare-joins-the-coupon-craze/feed/ 0 The Race: Build the Instagram of Video http://allthingsd.com/20120508/the-race-build-the-instagram-of-video/ http://allthingsd.com/20120508/the-race-build-the-instagram-of-video/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 16:44:33 +0000 Jessica E. Vascellaro and Spencer E. Ante http://allthingsd.com/?p=205333 Facebook Inc.’s $1 billion acquisition of photo-sharing start-up Instagram has shifted the spotlight to the newest phenomena in mobile apps: uploading personal videos from smartphones.

A growing number of start-ups are providing easy ways to share videos taken from a smartphone, enabling people to add music and text and to share the results on Facebook or another social network.

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120508/the-race-build-the-instagram-of-video/feed/ 0 The "New New Twitter" Goes Global With Mobile Web Update http://allthingsd.com/20120507/the-new-new-twitter-goes-global-with-mobile-web-update/ http://allthingsd.com/20120507/the-new-new-twitter-goes-global-with-mobile-web-update/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 20:26:48 +0000 Mike Isaac http://allthingsd.com/?p=204686 Twitter pushed out an update to its mobile Web application on Monday, allowing users of smartphones and low-cost “feature phones” alike to view the same Twitter redesign first unveiled in December. As the majority of the world’s cellphones are still low-end devices (a.k.a. not smartphones), it’s a push to put the same version of Twitter in the hands of more global users — especially those who aren’t able to afford a shiny new iPhone.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120507/the-new-new-twitter-goes-global-with-mobile-web-update/feed/ 1 Samsung Focus 2 Brings Another Affordable Windows Phone to AT&T http://allthingsd.com/20120507/samsung-focus-2-brings-another-affordable-windows-phone-to-att/ http://allthingsd.com/20120507/samsung-focus-2-brings-another-affordable-windows-phone-to-att/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 20:09:44 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=204652 AT&T’s foray into the home-security business might seem a curious move, but one area where the carrier is no stranger is Windows Phone devices.

Of the four major U.S. wireless providers, AT&T offers the biggest selection of Windows Phone handsets, and its collection continues to grow with today’s introduction of the Samsung Focus 2.

It’s the fourth model in Samsung’s Focus series (following the original Flash, the Focus S and Focus Flash) and features a four-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, a five-megapixel camera with 720p HD video-recording capabilities and a front-facing camera for video calls.

The Windows Phone 7.5 smartphone is also 4G LTE ready.

However, the most attractive aspect of the handset might be its affordable price tag: $49.99 with a two-year contract.

Of course, at that price, there are some trade-offs — such as a smaller screen and camera — when compared to some of the more expensive models, including the $99.99 Nokia Lumia 900 and the $199.99 HTC Titan II. Still, not everyone needs all the bells and whistles, and the Focus 2 looks to be a nice entry point for first-time smartphone buyers and those on a budget.

The Samsung Focus 2 is set for release on May 20, and comes only in white.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120507/samsung-focus-2-brings-another-affordable-windows-phone-to-att/feed/ 0 Faster HTC Droid Incredible Heads to Verizon http://allthingsd.com/20120507/faster-htc-droid-incredible-heads-to-verizon/ http://allthingsd.com/20120507/faster-htc-droid-incredible-heads-to-verizon/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 17:34:48 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=204479 The CTIA wireless trade show kicks off in New Orleans this week, and Verizon is getting the party started with the announcement of a new addition to its Android family.

Available in the “coming weeks,” the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE improves on previous versions of the phone by bringing more advanced multimedia options and faster data speeds, thanks to its compatibility with Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

The media features include an eight-megapixel camera that lets you capture photos and HD video at the same time, which is nice, since you no longer have to fumble with switching between video and camera mode. Along the same lines, HTC promises a faster camera-activation time, so you don’t miss out on that perfect Kodak moment. Meanwhile, on the tunes side, the smartphone uses Beats Audio technology to deliver richer sound.

In addition to the speed and media enhancements, the Droid Incredible 4G LTE runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, along with the latest version of HTC Sense. The smartphone is also equipped with a four-inch super LCD qHD touchscreen, a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and a microSD expansion slot.

Verizon did not announce an exact release date or pricing for the Incredible at this time.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120507/faster-htc-droid-incredible-heads-to-verizon/feed/ 0 In U.S., Slightly More Women Than Men Are Using Smartphones http://allthingsd.com/20120507/slightly-more-women-than-men-in-u-s-using-smartphones/ http://allthingsd.com/20120507/slightly-more-women-than-men-in-u-s-using-smartphones/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 15:00:25 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=204146 By now, we all know that about half of U.S. phone owners have smartphones, but what’s interesting is some new data on just who is more likely to be in the smartphone camp.

According to Nielsen, ethnic minorities were highly likely to have a smartphone, with Asian Americans leading the way at 67.3 percent opting for smartphones. Nearly three in five Hispanic mobile subscribers use a smartphone as do a majority fo African-American phone users.

By contrast, only 44.7 percent of white mobile phone subscribers have a smartphone.

Women were slightly more likely than men to have a smartphone, with 50.9 percent of women having a smartphone compared to 50.1 percent of men.

As for which smartphone people are using, recent trends continue as Android is the most commonly used operating system, running on 48.5 percent of smartphones, while the iPhone is the most commonly used smartphone model, at 32 percent of devices. RIM’s share of the U.S. smartphone market is down to 11.6 percent. Microsoft made up 5.8 percent of smartphone users in the U.S, but the old Windows Mobile accounted for more than twice as much of that than did Windows Phone 7 devices.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120507/slightly-more-women-than-men-in-u-s-using-smartphones/feed/ 0 Lenovo Reaches Beyond PCs http://allthingsd.com/20120507/lenovo-reaches-beyond-pcs/ http://allthingsd.com/20120507/lenovo-reaches-beyond-pcs/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 14:30:20 +0000 Loretta Chao http://allthingsd.com/?p=204344 Personal-computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. said Monday that it plans to spend about $800 million on a new base to house the development, production and sale of mobile products as the Chinese company tries to expand beyond its core PC business.

Lenovo, the world’s second-largest PC maker, said in a written statement on Monday that the five-billion-yuan facility, in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, will have several thousand employees, mainly focused on smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices for China and global markets.

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120507/lenovo-reaches-beyond-pcs/feed/ 0 Couch Commerce Spans Researching, Reviewing and Buying http://allthingsd.com/20120504/couch-commerce-spans-researching-reviewing-and-buying/ http://allthingsd.com/20120504/couch-commerce-spans-researching-reviewing-and-buying/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 16:42:32 +0000 Tricia Duryee http://allthingsd.com/?p=203749 Americans are using smartphones and tablets for every part of the shopping process from researching to buying.

CMKeiner

But in a new survey conducted during the first quarter, Nielsen discovered that the two devices are not being used for the same kinds of shopping-related activities.

For instance, U.S. consumers are most likely to use their smartphone to find a store and check prices, whereas tablet owners are more likely to do PC-type activities, such as researching products and reading product reviews.

Owners of both devices report frequently making purchases, including 42 percent of tablet owners and 29 percent of smartphone owners.

Last Christmas, the mobile shopping category first started to get retailers’ attention in a big way, leading to new vernacular such as “m-commerce,” or more fun things, like “couch commerce,” which conjures up images of consumers shopping while sitting in front of the TV.

Most retailers, like Amazon, haven’t started breaking out the mobile contribution, but eBay is forecasting that purchases made from apps or the browser on a phone or tablet will hit $8 billion in mobile gross merchandise volume this year, up 60 percent from $5 billion in 2011.

 

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120504/couch-commerce-spans-researching-reviewing-and-buying/feed/ 0 Can a Better Screen Finally Produce a 3-D Tablet Worth Buying? http://allthingsd.com/20120503/masterimage-aims-to-take-3d-from-the-big-screen-to-the-tablet/ http://allthingsd.com/20120503/masterimage-aims-to-take-3d-from-the-big-screen-to-the-tablet/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 12:00:51 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=202627 Though reasonably popular in the movies, electronics makers are still struggling to convince the masses that 3-D technology is worth using in the real world.

The technology has been built into everything from cellphones to TVs and laptops, but remains largely a niche in each category.

MasterImage 3D, a company that already does 3-D technology for the cinema, is turning its attention to tablets.

As is the case with a number of other 3-D phones on the market, MasterImage can create 3-D displays that don’t require special glasses. Its technology puts a special layer over traditional screens to create a second image, and then switches rapidly between the images to be seen by the left and right eyes.

The result is an impressive image that can be used to create the illusion of bubbles or confetti that appear to shoot out several inches from the screen. It’s equally adept at displaying 3-D Hollywood movies or playing adapted 3-D versions of existing games.

Unlike rival technologies that alternate line by line, MasterImage alternates smaller groups of images, a feat that the company says allows it to produce brighter images and allow 3-D to be shown regardless of which way the device is held.

Of course, the big challenge remains convincing consumers that they even want 3-D technology in the first place.

“A lot of people, their exposure to 3-D has been minimal,” said VP Matt Liszt. “It’s not a day in, day out experience and that’s what this can change.”

Another issue is that the amount of content for such devices is growing, but still relatively small.

MasterImage, which is based in Hollywood and has offices in Korea, has been talking with anyone who will listen — game makers, book publishers and studios.

“We’re not naïve,” Liszt said.

MasterImage hasn’t announced any deals with tablet makers, but says it has held advanced talks with a number of manufacturers, and hopes tablets using its technology will be on the market by early next year. For now, it is showing off a Qualcomm reference design that includes its display technology.

Updated, 11:45 a.m. PT, to note that the company has offices in Korea, but is based in Hollywood, as well as to say that the company has not announced any deals with tablet makers, but hasn’t said if it has signed any pacts.

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