For nearly a decade, BlackBerry smartphones have emerged from a potent brew of unrealistic ambitions and seemingly predetermined failure — do you remember the BlackBerry Storm? Throughout the decline, BlackBerry has touted privacy, security and a physical keyboard as the marquee features of its smartphones. Fast-forward to today, and what does the new BlackBerry Mobile …
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There’s a big shake-up happening at the nation’s largest wireless carrier. Verizon on Friday said that Lowell McAdam will step down as chief executive on Aug. 1, serving as executive chairman until his retirement at the end of the year. McAdam, 64, will remain with the company as non-executive chairman. Succeeding McAdam is Hans Vestberg, who joined the company in …
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Embattled Chinese telecommunications manufacturer ZTE may be alive after all. The company has agreed in principle to a settlement that would lift the Commerce Department ban preventing US companies from doing business with ZTE, according to a Reuters tweet on Tuesday. In exchange, ZTE would have to pay a total of $1.7 billion in penalties, according to the the report. The …
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The Federal Communications Commission is putting its foot down on some shady practices in the phone industry. The agency voted to establish a clear ban on the practice of “cramming,” which forced unauthorized charges onto your phone bill, and “slamming,” which switches your service without your consent or knowledge. The ban extends to lies said during sales calls as well …
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Sprint is bringing a new low to the unlimited data plan. And in this competitive market, that’s saying something. The nation’s fourth-largest wireless carrier, which has a deal to merge with No. 3 T-Mobile later this year, on Thursday introduced a new unlimited data plan for $15 a month per line. The limited promotion, which is only available online or …
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Some phone cases give you more battery life or wireless charging. But how about a case that can scan people for hidden weapons? That’s exactly what Royal Holdings, a Los Angeles-based startup focused on real-time intelligence and threat detection, and run by former intelligence contractor Barry Oberholzer, aims to do with its SWORD smartphone attachment. The company has created a …
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This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference. If you were looking to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference for big game-changing leaps or new hardware, you might have walked away a little disappointed. Monday’s keynote, it turns out, was about the little things. That’s not to say the changes were insignificant. Indeed, …
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This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference. On this podcast, we talk about: How Apple’s WWDC focused on polish over jaw-dropping announcements. Apple helping you kick your iPhone addiction. Apple saying it won’t merge MacOS and iOS, but bringing iOS apps to Macs anyway. And… memojis. The 3:59 gives you …
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On this podcast, we talk about: Apple Watch needing a watch face store, stat. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg facing the EU for the Cambridge Analytica scandal Intel and Microsoft disclosing a new flaw in computers and mobile devices. Now playing: Watch this: Are you getting bored with your Apple Watch face? (The… 4:26 The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis …
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On this podcast, special guest Iyaz Akhtar joins us to talk about: The OnePlus 6 review, and what’s missing from this great smartphone. Elon Musk’s bold plan to shuttle us underground at 150 miles per hour. How Amazon ships weirdly shaped and supersized packages. The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, …
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