The Pantech Vybe (AT&T) is a QWERTY messaging phone for the US market. Josh Miller/CNET Korea’s number three handset maker Pantech has been given another lifeline after standing at the brink of bankruptcy due to the company’s immense debt. A group of Pantech’s creditors have agreed to extend the deadline for debt repayment by two …

And here I thought it was just me. I have noticed recently that new contacts I create in the Phone app of my iPhone are not showing up in my contacts list. Turns out, iOS 7.1.2 changed a setting in a way that can prevent new contacts from showing up in your contacts list or syncing across your devices. To …

Google’s Android mobile operating system, running on a Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone James Martin/CNET Google may soon face a new probe by European antitrust regulators over business practices related to Android, the most popular mobile operating system in the world. The European Commission is prepping a new investigation that includes sending out questionnaires to companies about their dealings with Google …

I’ve been using PSB Image T6 towers ($1,298 a pair) at the CNET office as one of my reference speakers for a little over a year (it was in production long before I reviewed it). Now that it’s discontinued I wanted to check out PSB’s smaller Imagine X1T towers ($898 a pair). I looked at the two speakers side by …

Apple’s Find my iPhone James Martin/CNET Lawmakers have been clamoring for antitheft software to become standard and enabled on all smartphones, in an attempt to curb a rising tide of mobile device thefts over the last few years. But a researcher from Creighton University’s Heider College of Business has been looking into another benefit to the software. In a study …

Huawei Ascend P7 Huawei Huawei, the China-based mobile firm that builds everything from handsets to wireless telecom gear, has reported a strong first half of 2014. Huawei shipped a total of 64.2 million mobile devices during the first six months of the year, including 34.3 million smartphones, the company reported Tuesday. Huawei’s smartphone shipments were up 62 percent compared with …

CEO John Chen at BlackBerry’s security summit. Larry Dignan/ZDNet NEW YORK — BlackBerry said Tuesday that it will acquire Secusmart, a German mobile security company. The purchase highlights how BlackBerry is doubling down on the enterprise as well as mobile security. The two companies have been partners since 2009. The plan is for Secusmart, known recently for its anti-eavesdropping software, …

The $39 NomadPlus is available for preorder now. Nomad Earlier products, like the PlugBug, have piggybacked off Apple’s power adapters to create hybrid two-in-one chargers. But the folks at Nomad say their $39 NomadPlus is the first to mate Apple’s basic iPhone USB wall plug with a rechargeable battery. Related stories Apple CarPlay lets iOS take over a Mercedes-Benz ChargeKey …

New data shows that mobile phone users in Australia are turning to MVNOs — mobile virtual network operators that resell connectivity from larger telcos — for their data and call needs. In fact, according to the data from Kantor Worldpanel ComTech, MVNOs such as Amaysim and Aldi were the only providers to gain ground in terms of total market share, …

These shoes and insoles have a brain. Ducere Technologies When you’re out running, walking, or biking, it’s inconvenient and potentially hazardous to keep your eyes glued to the map on your phone. Imagine if your shoes told you which way to go without you ever having to take your eyes off the road or sidewalk. That’s the idea behind the …

Apple/USPTO Imagine a navigation system that can guide you based on the number of stop lights, stop signs, and obstacles along the way. A new Apple patent describes just that. Granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday, an Apple patent called “Routing based on detected stops” takes the concept of crowd-sourced navigation a few steps further than …

This alleged sapphire iPhone 6 screen seems able to ward off a knife attack. Marques Brownlee/YouTube/screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET Repeated rumors have suggested that the iPhone 6 will sport a sapphire-glass screen, but some analysts are throwing cold water on that idea. In a report released Monday, LEDinside analysts from market researcher Trendforce said they have yet to see the …

Telstra Telstra is boosting its offering for new customers with an upgrade deal on its suite of Mobile Accelerate Plans. Customers that sign up to a new Mobile Accelerate Plan can choose between 500MB of extra data (for use within Australia) or $500 worth of calls and MMS, both of which will be available for the life of the contract. …

Samsung’s Gear 2 may soon be joined by other wearables. Sarah Tew/CNET Samsung might be gearing up for a new wearable dubbed the “Gear S.” The Korean electronics giant late last week filed a trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the phrase Samsung Gear S. The trademark application doesn’t provide much information, but “Gear” is the …

Sarah Tew/CNET Google’s Chromecast was a break-out hit in what was the niche category of streaming media dongles because it went after what mattered to consumers: low price tag. The Chromecast wasn’t the first wireless streaming-media dongle to come along — Roku had one long before — but the $35 price and the initial offer of three months of free …