Facebook just “friended” Cisco Systems. The two companies are partnering up to provide restaurants, hotels, retailers, and other public locations with an integrated Wi-Fi check-in experience that ties into the Facebook network. Such a service would allow retailers to get more data on its customers, allowing for better targeted advice, advertising, or discounts. Related stories …

Get ready for the LG G Flex. LG is preparing a smartphone with a curved display, CNET has learned. It confirms previous chatter about the company’s work with plastic OLED screen technology. Related stories Samsung, LG vie to unveil flexible display smartphones li> What it really takes to make a flexible phone (Smartphones Unlocked) Samsung’s teased curved phone may not …

The wireless charging stars are aligning — sort of. Wireless charging — or the ability to place your phone on a charging pad or table for a recharge without cables — has been slowing making its way into smartphones and even select venues, such as Madison Square Garden and Starbucks. But broader adoption has been hampered by a three-way horse …

AT&T wants to get a leg up on Google Fiber. The company said on late Monday that it would launch its “GigaPower” super-fast home Internet service on December 1 in Austin, a city that Google has said it would deploy its own speedy Google Fiber service. AT&T GigaPower would start with speeds of 300 megabit per second, or roughly 40 …

BlackBerry offered no real surprises as it posted a fiscal second-quarter loss of nearly $1 billion amid the continuing struggles of its smartphones in the marketplace. The Canadian company said Friday that it lost $965 million, or $1.84, compared with a year-earlier loss of $235 million, or 45 cents a share. Revenue fell 45 percent to $1.57 billion, from $2.86 …

There’s finally some competition in the early phone upgrade program, and that’s good news for you. T-Mobile might have kicked off the trend to let consumers swap out their phones more frequently with “Jump,” but it certainly wasn’t the last. With Sprint introducing “One Up” last week, there’s finally a legitimate alternative out there. Related stories When Does My Phone …

T-Mobile downplayed the importance of unlimited data, even as it reiterated its intent to stick with the offering. During an investor conference on Wednesday, Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert said the offering was “part of a larger value proposition.” “We have an unlimited offering, but it’s not the reason for our being,” he said. Sievert compared T-Mobile’s pitch to consumers …

Verizon Wireless on Wednesday introduced a 4G LTE-powered router for the home, which could potentially replace your ground phone and Internet connection — as long as you’re not a heavy user and an existing wireless customer. The router is made by Novatel Wireless. Verizon Wireless The company’s Verizon 4G LTE Broadband Router with Voice is nothing if not straightforward, and …

Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam believes there’s a shelf life on unlimited data plans. As the wireless world moves toward delivering more video and becomes the center of communication, unlimited offerings aren’t sustainable, McAdam said on Tuesday during an investor conference. “With unlimited, it’s the physics that breaks it,” he said. “If you allow unlimited usage, you just run out of …

AT&T wants to get into the wireless show business. The company is working on technology that would enable it to broadcast video directly to its customers via its cellular network, CEO Randall Stephenson said during an investor conference on Tuesday. He said the service could come in the next three years. If the service sounds familiar, that’s because Qualcomm attempted …