Todd R. Weiss

Unemployment rates are typically tracked through weekly jobless benefits claims and other indicators, but researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have found that cell phone usage can also be used as a method to refine and confirm the latest unemployment figures. A study co-authored by several researchers at the school found that […]

Calls to Cuba can now be made by Sprint customers using their mobile devices under a new add-on Sprint Cuba 20 Plus calling plan that is available immediately. The Sprint Cuba 20 Plus plans offer 20 minutes of international calling to Cuba per month for $10 (50 cents per minute), while additional minutes can be […]

With its new Open Internet rules in effect since June 12, the FCC has hired an ombudsperson to respond to questions and concerns from consumers about the new policies. Parul P. Desai, who formerly served as policy counsel for media, telecommunications and technology policy at Consumers Union and as vice president at the former Media […]

Apple Music will offer free 90-day music streaming trials to customers when the service begins on June 30, but while the free service is being provided, Apple won’t be paying any royalties to the musicians whose work it is delivering. The lack of payments during the trial periods for customers means that the musicians and […]

Motorola is offering a $50 rebate and a 30-day free trial on its Moto X line of no-contract, user-designed smartphones through June 29. The offer is meant to give prospective buyers a chance to design and test a Moto X smartphone without any commitment so they can find out if the device fits their lifestyle, […]

Oculus Gives More Peeks Into Its Rift Virtual Reality Headset By Todd R. Weiss The Rift VR Experience The Rift VR system is an all-in-one integrated unit that includes dual low-persistence AMOLED displays that are designed specifically for virtual reality activities. They are worn on a user’s head and have an appearance similar to a […]

Marriott hotel guests will now be able to log into their home Netflix accounts while staying in select Marriott properties so they can take their home entertainment on the road at no extra charge. The new partnership means that some 62 million Netflix members will be able to use the Netflix subscriptions they already pay […]

Asustek may be interested in possibly acquiring HTC, but the smartphone and tablet computer maker is making it very clear that it is not interested in being wooed by Asustek. The chairman of Asustek, Johnny Shih, commented last week at the company’s annual investor’s meeting that Asustek might want to pursue an acquisition of HTC, […]

BlackBerry, which has stood fast with its own operating system for its products for years, is now looking at running Android on a future BlackBerry smartphone as it fights to remain relevant in the marketplace. The Android possibility was raised on a June 11 Reuters report, based on four sources who asked that they remain […]

The new Shark Tooth surf watch from Freestyle USA connects with an Android or iOS smartphone app to provide up-to-date tide, weather and related surf data to active wearers, whether they are boating, surfing, swimming or participating in other water-related activities. The Shark Tooth retails for $120 and connects to smartphones through a free app […]

Oculus is apparently planning a long tease as it continues to slowly reveal details about its future Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headset, which is expected to go on sale to customers in the first quarter of 2016. The Oculus team showed off the latest Rift design, features and accessories at a special press event in […]

Samsung Builds Galaxy S6 Active to Survive Rough Use by Todd R. Weiss A Galaxy S6 for Active Owners Like the original Galaxy S6 models, the new S6 Active has a chassis made of aircraft-grade aluminum, as well as a 5.1-inch, quad HD Super AMOLED display. The phones are covered on both sides by Corning […]