Mobile

There's a major shortage of iPhones in stores across the country, and Apple's own online outlet is also running short. The shortage has prompted speculation Apple is planning to bring forward the launch of its next phone, likely based on 3G ... technology. AppleInsider, an unofficial site that reports on the company's business, says it contacted Apple stores across the country and all were out of stock of both the 8GB and 16GB models. Thus far, there's no news as to when replacements will arrive. Readers of the site added to the reports, suggesting some entire states were without stock. There's ... (view more)

Although often credited as the father of computing, Charles Babbage (author of the "analytic engine"), probably didn't envision anything like mobile computer access or smart phones. Today, however, a growing percentage of the population cannot do ... without mobile communications and Internet access in their day-to-day lives. A recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project has found that 62 percent of Americans use mobile access to digital data or tools. Moreover, the same study found that most would have great difficulty in giving their gadgets up; the cell phone would be the ... (view more)

The next time you're in an airport, train station, bus station, coffee house, or other public place and decide to "jack in" to the Internet, you might well be exposing yourself to identity thieves -- or worse. Here's how it works: the girl across ... from you in the airport coffee shop has a laptop in her briefcase that's set as an 'access point', or a 'WiFi hotspot'. She's even given the access point a legitimate-sounding ID, say, something like "Free Airport WiFi". You power up your own laptop, quickly browse for available networks, see "Free Airport WiFi", note that it's unsecured but ignoring ... (view more)

Last week, Apple kicked off a new era for the iPhone, introducing its Software Development Kit (SDK), which will allow developers to create programs for Apple's newest gadget. During a keynote address, Steve Jobs introduced a few limitations to ... Apple's relatively open policy for new software. Any programs that are illegal (file sharing), Malicious (viruses), violate privacy, hog bandwidth or display explicit images will not be allowed. (Source: blogsmithmedia.com ) The iPhone is also not going to allow applications to run in the background, which means you can only access one program at a ... (view more)

As Microsoft continues its bid to take over Yahoo, both firms have announced moves to boost their standing in the mobile Internet market. Microsoft has signed a deal to supply its Silverlight system to cell phones made by Nokia. The system is a ... rival to Adobe's Flash software and allows devices to run interactive graphics and animations. At first the system will only be available on high-end Nokia models. However, it's likely to be extended to other handsets, including those from LG and Samsung, so could theoretically wind up on 53% of all smart phones. If Silverlight becomes popular, ... (view more)

Think the iPhone is the wave of the future? Their good friends at Nokia might have something to say about that. The company recently revealed 'Morph', a concept that hopes to demonstrate the flexibility -- quite literally -- of future cell phones. ... Unveiled at The Museum of Modern Art display in New York, Morph is the result of a shared project between Nokia and Britain's University of Cambridge. The pairing promises to release a number of radical concepts in the next while, but their opening salvo has certainly caught the attention of the techie nation. (Source: businessweek.com ) The concept ... (view more)

It's now guaranteed that a major part of America's wireless airwaves will be accessible to any device or computer program. That could mean more choice for cell phone owners who want to access the Internet on their phones. The guarantee comes because ... bidding on the relevant part of the airwaves (the C block of the 700 megahertz spectrum to be precise) has passed the $4.64 billion mark. The government has agreed to proposals, championed by Google, ruling that any bidder paying more than this amount would have to follow open-access rules. The airwaves are being freed up by television ... (view more)

Think you're safe using a cell phone behind the wheel? Maybe; clearly there are enough people out there employing such tactics that at least a few have become experts at balancing rush hour traffic and plans for dinner and/or a movie. Unfortunately ... for British drivers, not even especially refined multitasking skills will save them from a hefty fine and even jail time, if caught. According to reports from across the pond, drivers caught talking on a cell phone could face both 24 months in prison and a fine as steep as five thousand pounds. That's over $10,000 American dollars, more than what ... (view more)

Since owning his cell phone, Piotr Staniaszek has never paid more than $147 a month for service. Last month, he was more than a little shocked to peek into his mailbox and find a phone bill totaling $59,000 in additional charges. When he called to ... complain about the perceived error, he discovered that his current phone bill was clocked at $83,000...and counting. The reason for such a drastic increase in cost? Staniaszek had recently begun using his cell phone to download music and videos onto his personal computer. Staniaszek has pleaded total ignorance for his actions, citing that he ... (view more)

The technological upgrades made to several U.S. airlines will not end with cellular paperless boarding passes. For the small fee of 10 dollars, passengers can now purchase in-flight Internet connections. JetBlue Airways was the first carrier to jump ... on board with the project, already offering their customers free email and instant messaging services. Virgin America also has major plans to link wireless technology directly into their back-seat entertainment systems. This would allow passengers not traveling with laptops or smartphones to still be able to transmit messages from the plane. ... (view more)