Giv Mobile’s new plans are competitive, and every one of them gives money to charity. Giv Mobile Looking for a new carrier for your smartphone? Giv Mobile, an MVNO that operates on T-Mobile’s network, can provide a home for any T-Mobile-compatible or unlocked GSM phone. Even better, the company gives 8 percent of your monthly …

Pinterest rolls out direct messaging. Pinterest Pinterest is growing up to be a tried and true social network. The digital scrapbooking service announced Wednesday that its users can now send each other direct messages. Related stories Pinterest helps users discover with Guided Search for the Web Pinterest’s workforce is mostly white and male too Pinterest lands $5B valuation with $200M …

Hordes of customers descend on an Ooredoo dealer in Yangon, Myanmar. Myint Lwin Oo Ooredoo, Myanmar’s first non-government linked mobile carrier, went live this past weekend in three of the Asian country’s major cities, Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw. It was a highly anticipated launch for both the Myanmar people and telecoms industry watchers alike, as fewer than 10 percent of …

Is this the charging dock for the Moto 360 smartwatch?Mister Gadget Motorola’s upcoming Android Wear-based Moto 360 smartwatch could come with a wireless charging dock that shows the screen while the battery charges, if newly leaked photos turn out to be true. An Italian blog, called Mister Gadget, claims to have obtained images of how the Moto 360 will charge …

Apple and Samsung may have buried the legal hatchet overseas, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to end the war. The mobile giants late Tuesday said they agreed to drop all litigation outside the US in their long-running war over smartphone and tablet patents, but they’ll continue to pursue their existing cases in the US. They also said the agreement …

Samsung Patience is a virtue. And for cheapskates, it’s a must. Take smartphones: last year’s state-of-the-art model is this year’s bargain. Here’s the latest proof: Today only, and while supplies last, Yugster has the refurbished Samsung Galaxy S4 Active unlocked GSM smartphone for $274.99, plus $5 for shipping. It’s available in your choice of Dive Blue or Urban Gray colors. …

Apple’s iPhone 5S (left) and iPhone 5C. Apple One of the big questions surrounding Apple’s expected iPhone 6 : what size battery it will come with? An industry analyst believes it might be bigger than earlier rumors suggested. The 4.7-inch model of the iPhone 6 could ship with a 2,100mAh capacity battery, rather than the 1,810mAh battery previously believed to …

San Francisco resident and ride sharing enthusiast Kenny Liao poses next to his car, which he uses to give rides as a Sidecar driver. Courtesy of Kenny Liao Sidecar promoted its carpooling option Wednesday, saying that 13,000 passengers have used its app to share a ride with a stranger and split the fare. The peer-to-peer car service said passengers can …

Pebble One of my very favorite current smartwatches is the Pebble Steel . The the original Pebble Watch is still around, too, and costs $100 less. And now it comes in a trio of bright new colors. The new “Fresh, Hot and Fly” colors — Fresh Green, Hot Pink, and Fly Blue — are available now while supplies last, according …

Apple’s iPad Air. Josh Miller/CNET Apple is reportedly facing a purchasing ban on certain products for Chinese government use. The powers-that-be in Beijing have excluded the iPad and MacBook from a list of products that can be bought with public money, Bloomberg said Wednesday, citing “government officials familiar with the matter.” Specifically, the iPad, iPad Mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook …

Already selling the 3G Moto G, U.S. Cellular now adds the speedier smartphone to its lineup. Andrew Hoyle/CNET If the 3G version of the Motorola Moto G smartphone just isn’t fast enough for your tastes, U.S. Cellular has the answer: the Moto G 4G LTE it just added to its roster. The carrier will sell the budget Android device for …

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 hasn’t boosted results as much as hoped. CNET Samsung’s got a problem, and this time, it’s not Apple. The South Korean electronics maker is the biggest smartphone vendor in the world, but cracks are starting to show. In the second quarter, Samsung lost its footing at the top of the smartphone markets in both China and India, …

Former Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Sarah Tew/CNET Here’s the full text of CEO Dan Hesse’s farewell memo to his employees. He steps down on August 11 and will be replaced by Brightstar chief Marcelo Claure: Dear Sprint teammates, Effective August 11, Sprint board member and Brightstar Founder and CEO, Marcelo Claure, will replace me as Sprint CEO. Marcelo’s experience, deep …

Lynn La/CNET Sprint on Wednesday named Marcelo Claure its president and CEO, starting a new chapter for the embattled carrier. Marcelo Claure Sprint Claure, the 43-year-old founder and CEO of wireless supplier Brightstar, takes the reins from Dan Hesse, who served as CEO since December 2007. Claure will officially start Monday. Claure takes over in a time of uncertainty for …

Emu Google is buying Emu, a messaging app that adds context to conversations, according to the startup. Emu placed a farewell message on its website on Tuesday, alerting users that it would be shutting down the app on Aug. 25 to transition over to the tech giant. Existing users won’t be able to send, receive or download messages. “We’re super-excited,” …