All eyes will be on Google, as it takes a sudden plunge into the hardware business, courtesy of Motorola. The $12.5 billion deal, which closed today, netted Google a healthy stockpile of patents for legal defense and offense, along with a historic technology brand and a multibillion-dollar handset and TV set-top box business. It’s pretty …

If you can’t wait to get a U.S. carrier version of Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Amazon is offering the unlocked version early. Samsung Electronics’ latest flagship smartphone is available for preorder now, and will ship June 1. There is, of course, a catch. Since the unlocked Galaxy S III isn’t optimized for U.S. carriers, there are limitations to what networks …

AutoDesk isn’t exactly a household name, but I’m continually impressed by the quality of free apps it offers. One of the latest free apps, which came out earlier this month, renders everyday objects in 3D on your iPad, a fairly nifty feature. These aren’t the wonky 3D images that seem to fly off the screen; I’m talking about rendered images …

For T-Mobile, restructuring isn’t just code for layoffs. The carrier, in the middle of a massive overhaul of the business, said it would eliminate 900 jobs, as CNET previously reported, but hire 550 new positions. The new jobs will support its new business and strategic opportunities. Related stories When Does My Phone Unlock? And How Can I Get My Carrier …

The wireless carriers’ mobile-payments joint venture, after a slow start, is picking up some steam. Isis, a partnership between AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile, has lined up 50 merchant partners, including heavy hitters like Coca-Cola, Macy’s, and Foot Locker, as it gets closer to rolling out its service in trials in Austin, Texas, and Salt Lake City, Utah. The merchants …

T-Mobile USA will restructure its business and hold another round of layoffs, as it seeks to reduce its operating costs. The changes were announced in a memo from CEO Philipp Humm leaked to The Verge. T-Mobile told CNET that 900 employees would be cut as a result of the changes. The cuts come on top of 1,000 jobs the carrier …

LightSquared’s end is near. The company filed for bankruptcy today, according to Bloomberg, marking an unglamorous end to its attempt to create an upstart provider of super-fast wireless service. LightSquared was designed as a neutral wholesale provider of 4G LTE service, injecting additional competition into the industry and giving companies an alternative partner to work with. Despite its network in …

Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are where all the users are, but Windows Phone and BlackBerry may be where the money’s at. It isn’t enough to have extensive outreach programs, or even to give out free test devices anymore. With Android and iOS far and away dominant in the market, companies outside of the iOS-Android duopoly need to go the …

NEW ORLEANS–When Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg used his Consumer Electronics Show keynote to demonstrate the company’s Connected Me concept, which turns the human body into a bridge between gadgets, he was met with lackluster applause. Part of the problem was the audience didn’t fully grasp what Vestberg was trying to show. He was on stage holding a smartphone in one …

AT&T buying Leap Wireless? It could happen. The latest acquisition rumor comes courtesy of Reuters, which reported yesterday that AT&T and Leap have been in talks over the past few months regarding a potential deal. Related stories When Does My Phone Unlock? And How Can I Get My Carrier to Do It? Best Internet Providers in Chicago Galaxy S22 Deals: …