Michelle Maisto

This May, “top green carrier” AT&T will begin selling the Zero Charger, an energy- and resource-saving charger for a variety of mobile phones.The charger not only charges devices with better power efficiency, but it can sense when it’s plugged into a wall but not also a phone, and consequently cut the power supply from the […]

Opera Software introduced the Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10 March 16, two new mobile Web browsers that are compatible with a number of mobile phone platforms, including Google’s Android and RIM’s BlackBerry, and that are now available as free downloads.“Keeping in mind the needs and wants our [50-million-plus] users, we have emphasized speed, […]

The Motorola Droid is increasingly looking like a solid competitor for the Apple iPhone, while the Nexus One may be chalked up as an expensive lesson on the Google learning curve.A March 16 report from analytics firm Flurry takes a look at each device’s first 74 days – the amount of time it took for […]

Mobile banking took a convenient step forward March 16, with J&B Software introducing a software-as-a-service mobile banking deposit offering for smartphones.The solution supports all major platforms, including iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, relying on the devices’ cameras to snap an image of a check for depositing.Ideal for organizations that deposit fewer than 20 checks per […]

Computer maker Dell is suing five Asian manufacturers for allegedly plotting to set prices and overcharge Dell for the display panels they create.Japan-based Sharp, Hitachi, Toshiba and Seiko Epson, and Taiwan-based HannStar Display were named in the suit that Dell filed in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco March 12, according to reports from […]

Apple’s Battery Replacement Service for the iPad is a bit of misnomer, Apple Insider reported over the weekend, reading into some Apple fine print.Instead of replacing a battery with a “diminished ability to hold an electrical charge,” Apple will simply replace the iPad for a fee, after shipping costs of $105.95. Adding to this environment […]

AT&T, on March 15, introduced a new suite of consumer data services and four “Quick Messaging Devices” that can take advantage of them by offering “smarphone-like experiences” to the more affordable phones.“Quick Messaging Devices are among our most popular and fastest-growing phones,” David Christopher, AT&T chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “They offer great […]

Apple iPhone and Google Android OS smartphone users are a smitten bunch, but owners of Research In Motion BlackBerry devices have a wandering eye for other smartphones, a March 15 brand loyalty survey from market research firm Crowd Science revealed.The survey, which included 1,100-plus respondents, found an overall curiosity regarding the Android OS and a […]

Apple is expected to launch the newest version of the iPhone this June, and according to a March 11 report from Apple Insider, iPhone Software 4.0 will introduce the missing functionality that devices such as the Motorola Droid have lauded over the iPhone: multitasking.Citing “people with a proven track record in predicting Apple’s technological advances,” […]

The Apple-Nokia patent battles could continue on for more than two years, according to a report published March 12. Pointing to a court filing, Reuters reported that the companies are asking that a trial on their respective patent lawsuits be scheduled for mid-2012, putting the industry on notice that the legal struggle between the mobile […]

The Year of the Tiger is already proving a successful one for the global mobile handset market in general and Taiwan-based Samsung in particular, according to analysis firm Broadpoint AmTech.In a March 11 research note to investors, Broadpoint reported that 2010 is expected to continue the growth that the market unexpectedly saw in 2009, and […]

Motorola is the leading handset manufacturer in the United States, while BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion leads the smartphone space, according to market research firm comScore. Google also is gaining share in the smartphone space, though Microsoft is slipping a bit, comScore said March 10 in a report detailing trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry […]