smartphones

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VW Is Right: Shut Off the BlackBerries

Why automaker's move to unplug employees makes sense

(Newser) - Three cheers for Volkswagen! The German automaker has decided to turn off the email server for its employees' BlackBerries every day before and after work, and Roger Cohen of the New York Times thinks it’s a visionary move. Constantly being plugged into work has real costs, and while employees...

The New Headache: 'Peeping Tom' Phone Apps

Apps silence 'click,' black out screen to shield photo snapper

(Newser) - Cell phone apps that allow "peeping Toms" to secretly snap photos of unsuspecting targets are causing major headaches in Japan, and are bound to head to closer shores. The apps mute the sound of a photo click, and can also make it appear that the cell phone user is...

VW: We'll Deactivate Email When Staff Not Working

Carmaker's new policy will affect German employees' BlackBerries

(Newser) - Some workers in Germany will no longer have to worry about getting an email from the boss during dinner. Volkswagen has agreed to loosen the digital shackles by shutting down email service on their employees' BlackBerries during non-work hours, kissing the typical 24-hour accessibility goodbye. Europe's largest car manufacturer...

Apple iPhone Slipping in Europe
 iPhone Losing Ground Abroad 
Dec 22, 2011 12:27 PM CST

iPhone Losing Ground Abroad

Europe's economic mess, cheaper competitors a problem for Apple

(Newser) - There's actually a pocket of the world that's beginning to be less iPhone obsessed—and it's a big pocket. While Americans and Brits are still snapping up the latest Apple phones, the company's share of the continental European market is slipping, thanks to a weakened economy...

Apple Suit Makes HTC Change Phones

Taiwanese company has to change smartphone software

(Newser) - Apple scored a victory today in its lawsuit against smartphone-maker HTC , the New York Times reports. A US trade commission ruled that HTC will have to tweak some functions on its US smartphones in order to avoid patent infringement. The ruling, which can be appealed, involves technology that allows you...

Get Ready for Touch-Free Televisions...

...and phones, and tablets, starting next year

(Newser) - Touchscreens are so 2011. Starting as soon as next year, we'll be able to manipulate our phones with a wave of the hand. And that's just the beginning: Touch-free technology could soon take over our TVs, our tablets, and other devices, the BBC reports. One company behind the...

Scary New Problem: Distracted Doctoring

'NYT' reports on terrifying trend

(Newser) - It’s one thing to be distracted by your smartphone at the dinner table; it’s another thing entirely when you’re performing surgery. The New York Times reports on a disturbing trend it calls "distracted doctoring," explaining that thanks to the increased use of devices including smartphones...

Franken Wants Answers on Phone-Tracking Software

Warns that Carrier IQ may run afoul of law

(Newser) - The latest phone-tracking controversy has caught the attention of Capitol Hill. Sen. Al Franken has written to Carrier IQ demanding answers on whether its software goes too far in logging the doings of millions of smartphone users, reports the Huffington Post . His move comes after an Android developer raised the...

Your Android Phone May Be Spying on You

Carrier IQ insists it's just a 'diagnostic tool'

(Newser) - A hidden piece of software in your Android phone may be watching your every move and sending that information to an unknown recipient, a security researcher has alleged. In a video posted earlier this week, Android researcher Trevor Eckhart shows a program called Carrier IQ logging keystrokes, text messages, and...

iPhone Has 4% of Mobile Market—But 52% of Profit

And it's got room to grow

(Newser) - Apple is officially making ridiculous money on the iPhone. How ridiculous? Well, the phone now generated a whopping 52% of all mobile phone profits worldwide last quarter—despite controlling just 4.2% of that market, according to a new report from the Canaccord Genuity research firm. And amazingly, the analyst...

Apple Promises Fix for iPhone 4S Batteries

Software glitch affects some, but a patch is coming

(Newser) - Apple today acknowledged that some iPhone 4S users are getting lousy battery life but promised that a fix is on the way, reports AllThingsD . The glitch appears to be with the iOS 5 software, not the phone itself. Apple's statement: “A small number of customers have reported lower...

Hey, Siri, Are You a Data Hog? Not Really

Ars Technica figures 4MB to 28MB a month for most users

(Newser) - The new iPhone's Siri feature has won mostly raves, but users should be aware that all those requests of the "personal assistant" are eating up data. How much? Ars Technica put Siri through its paces, and it looks like most users won't come anywhere near busting their...

Nokia Unveils New Windows Smartphones

Spanish-speakers snigger at name 'Lumia'

(Newser) - Struggling Finnish phone maker Nokia is trying to make a comeback with a pair of new smartphones, Wired reports. The Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 are the result of an eight-month collaboration with Microsoft. The phones—priced at around $600 for the 800 and $380 for the 710—are "...

'Holy Grail' of Campaign Cash: Cell Phone Donations

Donations made via mobile are an untapped resource, so far

(Newser) - With presidential election cycles now topping $1.7 billion, you might think fundraisers have tapped every possible way of raking in money. You'd be wrong. The "holy grail" of fundraising remains the mobile phone, and, with 83% of adults owning one, political operatives are working furiously to add...

You Don&#39;t Want to Know What&#39;s on Your Cellphone
You Don't Want to Know What's on Your Cellphone
in case you missed it
Oct 22, 2011 7:30 AM CDT

You Don't Want to Know What's on Your Cellphone

There's a good chance it's fecal matter: study

(Newser) - If you’re reading this on your smartphone, you might want to go wash your hands now: A new study out of London finds that one out of six cellphones has fecal matter on it. UK researchers swabbed 390 mobile phones and the British hands that used them, and found...

iPhone 4S Users Angry Over Yellow Screen Tint

Some report yellowish tinge; no comment from Apple yet

(Newser) - Some who bought the new iPhone 4S are complaining about screens that appear yellowish, reports Forbes . "Compared to my iPhone 4, the iPhone 4s screen has a tarnished look with a yellow tint and lower contrast," wrote one iPhone owner on Apple's support site . The apparent defect—...

Samsung, Google Unveil Slick New Android Phone

New phone is first to run Android 4.0

(Newser) - Only hours after Motorola rolled out its new Razr , Samsung and Google unveiled a new Android smartphone of their own. The high-end Galaxy Nexus—which is set to retail for more than $700—would have launched more than a week ago, but the companies decided to reschedule after the death...

Motorola Resurrects Razr as Droid

New high-end Droid phone takes the name of old hit

(Newser) - Motorola has brought back an old name for its new entry into the smartphone market. The Droid Razr takes its name from the company's line of ultrathin flip phones that were produced between 2004 and 2007 and became the world's best-selling handset. The new Razr, which runs on...

BlackBerry Unveils New Operating System

But details are sketchy as it tries to fend off Apple and Android

(Newser) - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion unveiled a new operating system today in hopes of grabbing some attention away from the iPhone and Android phones. The new BBX system combines existing BlackBerry elements with RIM's previously announced QNX operating system for phones and tablet computers. RIM said BBX will incorporate...

Samsung Sues Apple to Block iPhone 4S Sales

Lawsuits filed in Japan and Australia

(Newser) - Samsung fired another salvo in its legal war with Apple today, filing suits in Japan and Australia to try to prevent iPhone 4S sales there—on top of similar suits already filed in France and Italy. Each suit revolves around a different patent Samsung says Apple is infringing, the Wall ...

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