LAS VEGAS — Rovio, the company that developed the popular Angry Birds games, is not just a mobile gaming company anymore. It’s an “entertainment” company, says Chief Operating Officer Harri Koponen. Speaking at the CTIA 2013 trade show here Wednesday, Koponen described the company’s evolution from casual game-maker to media mogul. The company, which launched …

Samsung has inked a deal with fellow Korean phone maker Pantech for an equity stake in the company. In a statement on Wednesday, Samsung confirmed an earlier report from Yonhap News, saying that it has acquired a 10 percent stake in Pantech for $48 million. The company said that the investment is designed solely to enhance the relationship between the …

Samsung says it has sold more than 10 million Galaxy S4 smartphones to retailers and wireless operators less than a month after the handset’s debut, making it the company’s fastest selling smartphone to date. In a press release Wednesday, the company noted that the GS4’s predecessor, the Galaxy S3, hit the 10 million mark in terms of global channel sales …

Delighted by your glorious new Galaxy S4, but disgusted by having to plug it into the mains to charge it? Plugophobes rejoice! There’s a new back cover for your Samsung smart phone that lets you plop it onto a pad and — bing bong — it’s slurping juice like a 4-year-old in a soft-play centre. Phone flogger MobileFun is offering …

HTC executives are departing a company that’s facing strong challenges in the mobile market. Our colleagues at CNET Asia this morning reported that HTC Asia CEO Lennard Hoornik has left the handset maker after an absence of two months during which he was “on leave,” and there’s no word on where he is headed. That departure continues an unsettling trend …

LAS VEGAS — ZTE’s quest to launch a flagship smartphone in the U.S. has hit a temporary snag. The ZTE Grand S, one of the more impressive smartphones shown off at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, won’t arrive here until next year, Lixin Cheng, head of the company’s North American division, told CNET on Tuesday. ZTE had grand plans …

LAS VEGAS — In an aggressive move for Cricket Wireless, the prepaid carrier has launched an advertising campaign urging Verizon and AT&T customers to switch over from their costly on-contract plans to Cricket’s more affordable rates. Named “Half Is More,” the initiative will fan out online, in print media, on TV, and through social-media campaigns. In fact, Cricket has already …

LAS VEGAS — Cricket announced on Wednesday that it’ll sell Samsung’s Galaxy S4 smartphone starting June 7. The superpremium handset sells for the hefty sum of $599.99, but buyers can also put $55 down and space out monthly payments. Cricket’s version of the Galaxy S4 includes the same high-end hardware specs you’ll find on any carrier, like a 5-inch HD …

LAS VEGAS — What does Verizon Wireless have up its sleeve? Verizon is one of the few companies opting for a splashy press conference at the CTIA Wireless, which officially kicked off today. As such, it’s essentially headlining what is expected to be a quiet show this year. The company is holding its press conference on Wednesday at 11 a.m. …

If you work at HTC, “just quit.” That’s the advice given to HTC staff by a former bigwig, as the troubled company sees more senior figures staff jump ship in the wake of disappointing sales for the flagship HTC One. As the performance of the One sees HTC haemorrhage profit, chief product officer Kouji Kodera is the latest grand muckamuck to head …

Free stuff is the best stuff. I know it; you know it; and Sony knows it — which is why Sony is throwing in a free Sony Xperia Z smart phone when you buy a new Bravia HDTV. The free mobile phone comes with the 55-inch or 46-inch Bravia W9, starting from around £1,800. Or you can opt for the …

We review a lot of wireless Bluetooth keyboards and keyboard cases for iPads and other tablets, but we’ve yet to review a wired keyboard for the iPad. It comes as little surprise then that Logitech, which makes plenty of Bluetooth keyboards, has unveiled the Wired Keyboard for iPad, which it dubs “the first iPad keyboard made specially for the classroom …

LAS VEGAS — Windows that only let in sunlight and provide a view to the outside world? That’s so yesterday’s news. Ericsson believes it can do more with windows, and it had on display here a few windows enhanced with different modifications. One had a transparent cellular antenna embedded in the glass, potentially improving smartphone reception. Another was outfitted with …

Vodafone is holding back its 4G service until the next iPhone comes along. The network has delayed its planned launch, reportedly in part to coincide with the arrival of the 5S — and has apparently confirmed that 4G will cost extra. Vodafone says 4G “demands a premium”, suggesting you’ll most likely need a different — and presumably more expensive — …

LAS VEGAS — Walmart believes smartphones can deliver the same kind of personalized service that founder Sam Walton embraced with his first store. Where e-commerce brought the store to the Web, smartphones are bringing the Web to physical stores, with each consumer able to access data from their phones, according to Gibu Thomas, head of mobile for Walmart. “The future …