The latest cell phones reviews and news!
Archive for September, 2011
T-Mobile USA gives retail stores a face-lift
Sep 30th
T-Mobile USA is remodeling 400 retail stores, with pilot locations in Seattle and New York, as it tries to remain competitive with its wireless competitors. Stores are getting hardwood floors and a more open layout.
Originally posted at Signal Strength
Amazon’s Kindle Fire Browser Raises Privacy Concerns
Sep 30th
Amazon’s Web browser for the upcoming Kindle Fire is causing privacy concerns, as the promising product faces a potential setback even before its November release.
The Silk Web browser designed specifically for Amazon’s new tablet uses the company’s servers to shoulder the weight of loading Web pages. However, security firm Sophos said that method gives Amazon a complete record of users browsing history as well IP and MAC addresses because users are connecting to the company’s servers, rather than the actual website.
Growing concerns of user data security and privacy have likely escalated the scrutiny of Amazon’s newest offering. Silk and the Kindle Fire have not even been released yet, but if Amazon can’t ease customers fears about privacy, one of the biggest advantages of the device could end up being its biggest drawback. Customers must agree to terms and conditions that allow Amazon to keep their information for 30 days if they want to take advantage of the Silk browser’s cloud features.
Users who choose not to agree to Amazon’s terms regarding cloud browsing with Silk will still be able to use the browser, but will see a performance hit. The company designed the browser to access sites both locally and remotely with the help of its servers, so turning off this feature will likely lead to slower browsing.
The exact repercussions of Amazon’s servers being breached and user information being accessed aren’t yet fully known, but if the company is storing browsing data, other personal data may be affected. For example, there is concern customers that make online purchases could have their credit card numbers put in jeopardy, and those who do online banking could be left with vulnerable accounts.
Amazon has not responded to privacy concerns regarding its new browser, but it will likely respond in some way before the Kindle Fire’s November release.
The security issues surrounding Silk have yet to be completely defined, but if they’re authentic, it may prove a significant hurdle for Amazon on its road to becoming a viable competitor in the tablet market.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire Browser Raises Privacy Concerns originally appeared at Mobiledia on Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:28 pm.
Windows Phone Gains, Makes Up One-Third of HTC Sales
Sep 30th
HTC said Windows Phone devices make up 30 percent of its sales, as Microsoft begins gaining ground in the mobile market.
The Taiwanese phone maker is betting Microsoft’s platform will be a big part of its future plans and expect the number of Windows phones sold to go up.
“We believe that Windows Phone 7 will eventually be better than other platforms and will give Android a run for its money,” said HTC’s manager in Singapore, Melvin Chua.
Microsoft believes its platform has made good progress since its launch last year, and the Mango update builds on that success. Mango contains more than 500 changes to the company’s original OS and was released this week to AT&T users who own a Windows Phone.
HTC also says Mango is a big deal for the young platform. The company said it has a positive forecast for the future of Windows Phone because it has not only seen excitement from customers, but also from its own employees in developing devices for it.
Samsung is also dedicating more of its resources to the Windows phone. The South Korean electronics giant inked a deal with Microsoft that settles the companies patent dispute, as well as assures more Windows powered Samsung smartphones in the near future.
Along with phone makers, analysts also expect big things out of Windows Phone in the future. More than 40 percent of smartphone owners, and those who intend to buy one, are considering purchasing a Windows Phone 7 device, according to a report from Connected Intelligence.
Numbers like this are what have lead research firm IDC and Gartner to project the Windows Phone 7 platform will be the number-two smartphone OS by 2015. Google’s Android OS is projected to have 45 percent of the market with Windows Phone holding just over 20 percent, surpassing Apple.
The excitement over the Windows Phone platform from manufacturers like HTC is a good thing for Microsoft, but it will have to keep that momentum going if it wants to reach analysts’ lofty predictions.
Windows Phone Gains, Makes Up One-Third of HTC Sales originally appeared at Mobiledia on Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:11 pm.
HP Aims to Prevent Takeovers as New CEO Steps Into Spotlight
Sep 30th
HP has hired Goldman Sachs to help defend it against investors who may push for a takeover, as new CEO Meg Whitman works to reverse the troubled company’s fortunes.
Goldman is well-known for helping companies devise strategies to fend off unwanted offers, and likely will work on shareholder rights’ plans for HP, which could make it difficult for “activist investors” to take over or push an agenda. Such investors often buy up shares of a company while they’re less expensive, and eventually build up to a position where they can push a company’s board for changes including new leadership.
Many analysts consider HP to be in a vulnerable position, which could be why the company is seeking outside help from Goldman Sachs. Last week, the company hired Whitman, the ex-CEO of eBay, following a two-day meeting, prompting shareholders to complain she had been hired too quickly.
However, board members said they moved quickly because they already knew Whitman’s background. She replaced Leo Apotheker, who was ousted after a year, following several controversial decisions, including a proposed spin-off of the company’s profitable PC department and killing off its TouchPad tablet after only five weeks.
Many stockholders are also concerned Whitman continues to support many of Apotheker’s decisions. Whitman had been a member of HP’s board since January, and she and other board members approved many of the major changes that have drawn complaints. Whitman says she will continue to study the PC spinoff, for example, and will make a final decision by the end of the year.
The new CEO will also need to make a final determination about the company’s decision to purchase U.K. software maker Autonomy. HP said it wants to pay $10.3 million for the company, a price that many stockholders claim is too high. If a hostile stockholder group takes over, it may press the board to back away from the purchase.
The debate over these issue continue to raise questions about HP’s future, many analysts claim, and point to instability that could make the company a prime target for an aggressive stockholder campaign, affecting HP’s future now and in months to come.
HP Aims to Prevent Takeovers as New CEO Steps Into Spotlight originally appeared at Mobiledia on Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:06 pm.
Nokia to Cut 3,500 Jobs, Struggles With Transition
Sep 30th
Nokia plans to cut 3,500 jobs and close factories, as the struggling handset maker stays afloat while developing a new line of Windows phones.
The Finnish company said it will cut 2,200 employees from a feature phone factory in Cluj, Romania, as well as slash 1,300 jobs from its Location and Commerce division starting next year.
“The European market has shifted towards smartphones, whereas the feature phone market is predominant in Asia and we can get greater scale and proximity benefits by using our Asian factories in China and Korea,” a Nokia spokesperson explained.
The company also plans to “review the long-term role” of its manufacturing plants in Finland, Hungary and Mexico.
Nokia’s decision to embrace smartphones over feature phones may be necessary as the higher-end market ramps up in importance, but the change in strategy is costing the company its money, reputation and employees.
In April, Nokia said it would cut 7,000 jobs and outsource its ailing Symbian software, in addition to closing its luxury phone stores in Japan.
A few months later, Nokia slashed feature phone prices to retain consumer interest after suffering a $520 million loss in the second quarter. The company also ousted MeeGo around the time its CTO departed, bringing further losses to the foundering firm.
However, the changes are necessary if Nokia hopes to regain its competitiveness against rivals like Apple or Google, which gained dominance as consumers shifted to app-powered, touch screen high-end devices. Hoping to regain traction, Nokia entered into a partnership with Windows.
The Sea Ray handset, Nokia’s first Windows phone, debuted on August 2 to generally positive reviews, but the company stands to lose until it can market more than one such device and get them into the field.
But Nokia’s downward struggle, including pricing and personnel cuts, is likely to continue during its long and arduous transition to building Windows phones.
The company’s CEO Stephen Elop believes Microsoft’s partnership will save the handset manufacturer/a>.
Until then, however, Nokia may need to keep tightening its belt to keep its operations running and people employed.
Nokia to Cut 3,500 Jobs, Struggles With Transition originally appeared at Mobiledia on Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:28 pm.
Your old iPhone could be worth a guaranteed $250
Sep 30th
One buyback site is offering a nice premium on unwanted iPhone 4s, plus a 21-day price lock. Of course, there is one way to make that old phone even more valuable…
Originally posted at Crave
Has RIM halted production of the PlayBook?
Sep 30th
RIM insists that it is not getting out of the tablet business, but there are signs that PlayBook production may have stopped. And retailers are beginning to offer the device at deep discounts.
Originally posted at Nanotech – The Circuits Blog
Why Amazon’s Kindle Fire is like a razor
Sep 29th
Any willingness on Amazon’s part to take a loss on the new tablet shouldn’t be that surprising. It’s all about locking up customers for the long run.
Kindle Fire sets a new (low) price point for tablets
Sep 29th
At $199, the Kindle Fire likely has a lot of rival tablet manufacturers cringing. Amazon is redefining for consumers just how much they need to pay for a quality tablet.
More than a third of Android phones are 4G-enabled
Sep 29th
An ‘impressive’ 37 percent of all Android phones in the U.S. are now 4G-enabled, says mobile analytics firm Localytics.
