Swapping out your SIM card on your iPhone 4S when you travel abroad is a good way to avoid expensive roaming charges. But whether you can do it, and on which carrier it’s allowed, can be confusing. In this edition of Ask Maggie I answer what should be a simple and straight-forward question about whether …

Sprint is making good on its promise to eliminate the controversial Carrier IQ software from devices on its network. On Monday Android Central reported that the HTC EVO 3D, which runs on Sprint’s network, will get a new firmware update that will wipe the Carrier IQ software from the device. HTC confirmed on Tuesday its move in a statement to …

LAS VEGAS–Microsoft’s handset partners are finally coming out with some interesting hardware for the Windows Phone operating system. Nokia and HTC each announced new high-end smartphones using the OS. So which one is best? Ask Maggie shares some advice. Also in this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice to a reader interested in the jumbo-sized Samsung Galaxy Note. …

LTE may be the global standard for next-generation wireless networks, but that doesn’t mean you can take your 4G Verizon Wireless phone abroad and expect to roam on other 4G networks. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I explain the sad reality of why you can’t take a U.S. 4G LTE phone and expect to use it in Europe or …

Ongoing legal battles over patents and tough competition are hurting Motorola’s sales and profits, the company said Friday. After the market closed on Friday, the company reported that sales fell short of expectations in the fourth quarter of 2011. The company estimates sales of about $3.4 billion for the quarter with modest profitability on a non-GAAP basis. Analysts had expected …

The promise of super-fast 4G wireless broadband sounds enticing, but what happens when you can’t actually get the 4G service? That’s the question one reader who just got the new 4G LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Nexus is asking. No 4G service. Should I keep the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? Dear Maggie, Four days ago I took delivery of my new Samsung Galaxy …

It’s been a roller coast ride this past year for mobile phone carriers with several unexpected twists and turns. And 2012 will likely be filled with a similar sense of excitement. The biggest news for 2011 in this sector was AT&T’s $39 billion bid to buy T-Mobile. And when the deal was announced in March, AT&T seemed confident it could …

Verizon Wireless’s new $2 “convenience fee” for paying a bill online has outraged consumers, and today the Federal Communications Commissions said it will look into the fee. “On behalf of American consumers, we’re concerned about Verizon’s actions and are looking into the matter,” the FCC said in its statement. The FCC isn’t providing further information about its investigation. The New …

Skype is giving people in the Big Apple free access to Wi-Fi on New Year’s Eve so they can call and video chat with friends and loved ones at the stroke of midnight. Skype The company, which allows people to make phone and video calls over the Internet, offered free Wi-Fi in airports around the U.S. from December 21 through …

Researchers have released two tools that can be used to exploit a vulnerability in a protocol that makes it easier to set up secure home Wi-Fi networks. Stefan Viehbock, who first reported the vulnerability to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, released a tool that can crack a home Wi-Fi network in two hours. And Craig Heffner of Tactical Network …