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Mobility & Wireless

News

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T-Mobile launches myTouch 3G; no plans for HTC Hero 09/07/2009 04:19:00
Google's Android OS is still revving to invade the smartphone market

While Google Chrome OS is the hottest news right now, Google's Android OS is still revving to invade the smartphone market. At the T-Mobile myTouch 3G launch event in New York City this morning, T-Mobile execs announced that the T-Mobile myTouch 3G is available for online pre-orders starting today. Delivery is guaranteed by August 5.
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iPhone 3GS battery life comes up short: is it the software 09/07/2009 00:06:00
Some users are reporting that the battery life on their brand new iPhone 3GS is not as long as they expected

Another week, and yet another iPhone issue. Only this time, it's not overheating. Some users are reporting that the battery life on their brand new iPhone 3GS is not as long as they expected. And this time, it doesn't look like it's a hardware problem.
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Chrome OS will push Apple to address failings, say analysts 09/07/2009 07:01:00
Apple needs to offer a tablet, drop MacBook price to US$700, argues expert

Apple should be nervous about Google's move into the operating system market, some analysts said today. Others, however, argued that Apple executives won't lose a second of sleep.
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Android, Chrome OS differ over voice communications 09/07/2009 08:51:00
Google makes it clear it wants to keep both operating systems and let the market decide

As soon as Google Inc. announced it was working on the new Chrome operating system, questions arose over how the new OS will differ from the Android mobile OS, and whether it might spell the end of Android.
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Motorola to cut more jobs in mobile division 09/07/2009 04:30:00
The workers will join 3,000 people who were let go in the group earlier this year

Struggling Motorola is laying off 74 more workers from its mobile-phone division.

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Features

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Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch turns 1! 09/07/2009 15:30:00
To celebrate the App Store's first birthday, we've compiled a list of our favourite apps

Apple's popular App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch is turning 1!
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Hands on: Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro packs a punch 09/07/2009 09:14:00
Faster processors, more battery life and a better display make for a great -- and small -- package

When it comes to Apple laptops, what's in a name? More specifically, what does adding the "Pro" moniker to Apple's 13-in. MacBook mean?
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App selection secures iPhone lead In smartphone market 08/07/2009 02:10:00
The maxim that "software sells hardware" is truth

It wasn't always obvious that applications would be as important to mobile users as the iPhone has helped them become. Or that they would be even more important for keeping competitors at bay.
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Mophie cures iPhone battery woes 07/07/2009 00:34:00
Putting my money where my mouth is, I headed to the Apple store in Emeryville and picked up a Mophie Juice Pack Air

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a critical post about, among other things, of the iPhone's battery life. Since then, reports have poured in of new iPhone users who are displeased with the device's longevity, indicating that the new 3GS does little to alleviate the problem.
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Could bandwidth caps come to mobile phones -- because of porn? 07/07/2009 09:47:00
It's simple: Where you have video viewing, you have pornography seeking.

Let's face it: We're a world that loves smut. More than a third of Internet users surf to salacious sites on a semiregular basis, according to some purely academic research cited in a recent Harvard study (PDF). Most of those users hit nearly eight X-rated sites each month -- and, even with a typical visit lasting only 11.6 minutes (insert inappropriate joke here), that can add up to an awful lot of video-based bandwidth.

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Opinions

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Why the iPhone can't be 'killed' 02/07/2009 08:09:00
Every time a supposed "iPhone killer" hits the market its sales come in well below the iPhone's sales numbers.

Every few months, some new hopeful to the smartphone market will garner enough hype where various media outlets will dub it an "iPhone killer".
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Are sealed-in laptop batteries a good idea? 30/06/2009 13:40:00
In what may become commonplace, Apple and Dell have begun shipping notebooks with sealed-in batteries, promising longer battery life but preventing battery swapping

When Apple introduced its new MacBooks recently, it touted a doubled battery life -- but noted that the laptops' batteries were sealed into the case, not user-swappable as is the norm on laptops.
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Elgan: Why the iPhone doesn't matter 22/06/2009 08:11:00
Handsets are irrelevant. It's all about software now. And networks.

The new iPhone 3G S is here! The new iPhone 3G S is here!
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Opinion: The 5 best things about iPhone OS 3.0 18/06/2009 08:28:00
iPhone uers finally get copy/paste, Spotlighting searches and push

Apple Inc. today pushed out the much-anticipated iPhone OS 3.0 update that company execs touted at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference. After spending some time with iPhone 3.0 on both an original Edge-based iPhone and last year's 3G model, I can tell you the update makes even older phones more responsive and offers a number of improvements -- some of them long overdue. Aside from the new features I highlight below, iPhone owners who download the update through iTunes will notice that, overall, the user interface is smoother. Animations don't stutter as they did before and data loads more quickly.
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Is Apple gearing up to enter the enterprise? 12/06/2009 07:02:00
The iPhone gained Exchange support in the past year, but other developments have been less obvious

It could be that a real battle is brewing between operating systems. Apple will fire first by releasing Mac OS X 10.6, known as Snow Leopard, in September. Microsoft's response, Windows 7, will hit store shelves a few weeks later, on Oct. 22.

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Interviews

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Fighting e-waste one mobile phone at a time 25/11/2008 09:42:00
ReCellular handles thousands of unwanted handsets every day, fixing them up for resale or sending them to be melted down and recycled

With most Americans switching their mobile handsets once every 18 months, the need to find safe ways to dispose of old mobile phones has only grown. ReCellular, a self-described "electronics-sustainability" firm based in the US, has spent the past two decades working with the US-based Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) to become a major recycler and reseller of mobile handsets and accessories. Every day, ReCellular processes thousands of unwanted handsets and either fixes them for resale or sends them off to be melted down and recycled. ReCellular Vice President Mike Newman spoke with Brad Reed about how his company is helping to reduce e-waste, as well as how enterprises can benefit from donating their mobile devices for reuse and recycling.
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Meru looks to make Wi-Fi as reliable as Ethernet 14/11/2008 10:27:00
Meru CEo Ihab Abu-Hakima talks about Wi-Fi networks and how it differs from rivals Aruba, Cisco and Trapeze.

On Monday, Meru Networks announced virtual ports, a technology designed to make Wi-Fi networks as reliable as wired Ethernet. IDG News Service interviewed the CEO of Meru, Ihab Abu-Hakima, on a visit to London.
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Why major mobile handset makers are riding with LiMo 20/03/2008 11:23:39
The executive director of the LiMo Foundation discusses his group's efforts to create and establish an open handset platform built on Linux

The LiMo Foundation was formed on January 2007 as a consortium of mobile industry companies joining together to create for handsets an open and standardized software platform based on Linux. Their goal is to deliver an open handset format that will become more widely accepted and used over closed, proprietary platforms. The foundation's major founders include Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics and Vodafone. These companies and other members share leadership and decision making.
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Is a free global Wi-Fi network possible? 25/02/2008 07:31:26
WeFi CEO Zur Feldman discusses how the company plans to make money from creating a virtual global Wi-Fi network

WeFi is hoping to do for Wi-Fi connectivity what Facebook has done for social networking.
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Q&A with Google Android Developer 12/11/2007 09:11:05

Google seeks to build a "vibrant third-party developer community" for its Android mobile platform, Google co-founder Rich Miner says.

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Tutorials

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Speed up your Windows XP netbook 08/07/2009 04:47:00
While this leaves you with a plainer, less visually exciting Windows, it also lets your netbook devote its minimal processing power to more important things

Most modern desktops and laptops have power to spare, but netbooks are notoriously pokey. Consequently, you should turn off any operating-system features that can make your Lilliputian PC even slower.
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Firmware and you: a comprehensive guide to updating your hardware 08/07/2009 13:45:00
Firmware is a set of permanent instructions on a piece of hardware, stored in a device’s read-only memory

Utter the word “firmware” to the average PC user, and you'll likely elicit a blank stare in return.
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Fix a laptop's sticky, broken keys 16/06/2009 00:00:00
A laptop with a rotten keyboard is not necessarily destined for the scrap heap

As we learned last week, it's fairly easy to fix a noisy overheated laptop: Open an underside panel, (carefully) blow out the dust, then enjoy the praise your wife lavishes on you for fixing her system.
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Three ways to install Windows 7 on a netbook 19/05/2009 01:43:00
The traditional method of installing the OS starts with burning the downloaded ISO file to a DVD

By now you know that you can download the Windows 7 Release Candidate free of charge from Microsoft and use it for nearly a year.
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How to sync two PCs 12/05/2009 10:03:00
How can you keep documents synchronised between two computers?

Reader Matt Gohring has a laptop and a desktop, and he needs to keep his documents synchronized between them.

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Buying Guides

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Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Buying Guide 27/04/2009 12:50:00
What is a GPS unit and why do you need one? Let us guide you through the world of GPS.

Next time someone tells you to "Get lost!" — just smile and tell them calmly that you can't, thanks to your GPS navigation unit. Be sure to watch their face.
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Smartphones Buying Guide 01/07/2008 17:00:00
A smartphone is a hybrid device that has all the features of a mobile phone and most of the features of a PDA such as calendar, e-mail, Web browsing and office applications. Here's what to look for when buying one.

As technology and communications begin to converge, the focus is increasingly placed upon multifunction devices, such as the modern smartphone.
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3G Mobile Phones 20/06/2008 15:50:00
With more bandwidth and endless multimedia possibilites, 3G mobile phones are leaving 2G in the dust.

With more bandwidth and endless multimedia possibilities, 3G mobile phones are leaving 2G in the dust.
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ADSL Modem/Router 10/10/2007 10:20:52

If you have multiple computers around the home or office and want to network them together to share an ADSL Internet connection then this guide is for you.
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PDA Buying Guide 16/01/2006 10:30:07
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are data-centric devices designed for on-the-move computing and communications. Here's what to consider before buying one.

Want to get your life in order? Then a personal digital assistant (PDA) could be the right product for you.