With a cash investment of $20.1 billion, Softbank plans to take control over struggling U.S. carrier Sprint Nextel next year under an agreement announced today. Under the all-cash deal, expected to close in mid-2013, the Japanese technology and investment firm will purchase 70 percent of Sprint’s stock for $12.1 billion and will invest $8 billion …

NQ Mobile isn’t content to protect your phone; it wants to protect your children too. The company, which primarily makes mobile security software that fights off malware and viruses on smartphones, is moving to an adjacent area of security with its Family Guardian app. The app, only available on Android for now, is presented as an all-in-one parental control tool. …

How many times have you played a really sweet game on an Android or iOS device, but found yourself wishing for better controls? Because, let’s face it, some games really suffer when your thumbs block the screen, or when you don’t get any tactile feedback. Tapping glass is a far cry from mashing buttons. Enter ThinkGeek’s iCade 8-Bitty, a mobile …

CNET’s phone screen measurement setup involves a high-end spectroradiometer and industry-standard software. The two top dogs in the smartphone world right now are the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3. My doughty CNET colleagues have thoroughly reviewed and compared each one, but so far we hadn’t actually sat down to measure the performance of their screens. Until now. I …

Japanese wireless provider SoftBank made a huge bet on the U.S. market after it agreed to take control of Sprint Nextel for $20.1 billion. After days of speculation and reports, the two companies confirmed the deal this morning. SoftBank gets a large foothold in the U.S. market, which it believes still has the opportunity for growth. Sprint, meanwhile, gets a …

The decline of BlackBerry has been well documented over the past two years, from its disintegrating market share and its public change of management to its wide lay-offs and the fact that it has now been 18 months between major product releases. Despite these setbacks, Research In Motion (RIM) has stuck to its guns, and forged ahead in designing a …

If you’re looking for a simple cell phone, it’s hard to find one simpler — or cheaper — than the simple Samsung M400. The basic flip phone comes free with a new two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate. Related stories: T-Mobile to shut Sprint’s 4G LTE network, Sony sees end to PS5 shortage Beyond the 5G hype: Searching …

With the news of the T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS merger just settling, company shareholders have filed a lawsuit trying to block the deal. According to the TMONews, MetroPCS shareholders are calling the deal “drastically undervalued” and claiming that MetroPCS’ board is “conflicted and serving its own financial interests.” The lawsuit was filed in Dallas, Texas against MetroPCS, T-Mobile USA, its …

Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son isn’t impressed with the high-speed wireless networks in the United States. “Everytime I come to the U.S., I say ‘Oh my God, the mobile phone network is so slow,'” Son said during a conference call with analysts today. Now, Son is in a position to change things to his liking after Softbank and Sprint Nextel agreed …

So you got your iPhone 5, did you? You obviously weren’t put off by the whole Apple Maps debacle. Or the fact that the black model scratches extremely easily (and that Apple considers this normal). Or the purple flare that shows up when you take pictures (normal again, apparently). Or the green glow, a new fault people are finding with …

Remember the Asus PadFone? You know, the mobile-cum-tablet hybrid that promised the best of both worlds but in reality proved too bulky? Asus is prepping a follow-up. And it’s even bigger. The PadFone 2 is set to be announced next week, but it’s leaked early, The Verge reports. As well as the bigger screen, we’ll get a redesigned dock. Instead …

LG’s Nexus 4 might just be the worst-kept secret in the technology world. Jason Parks, a Texas-based software engineer who works for Google, published photos on his Google+ page over the weekend of his son sleeping. Although that might seem innocuous enough, after users clicked the “Photo details” link to the side of the images, EXIF data contained in that …

Now playing: Watch this: AT&T’s LG Optimus G packs a quad-core punch. 2:10 Right after AT&T saidthat it will begin selling the LG Optimus G on November 2 for $199.99, Sprint announced that it too will be selling the LG flagship phone for the same price, starting November 11. Related Stories TV in the Bathroom: Technically Doable but a Very …

A pair of photos circulating the Internet today may be the first images of a rumored Sony Xperia Nexus, but it’s more likely an elaborate hoax. Appearing on Picasa this morning, the photos are tagged as “sony nexus” and “xperia nexus” and have EXIF details that show they were taken on a Galaxy Nexus over the weekend. The front side …

Now playing: Watch this: AT&T’s LG Optimus G packs a quad-core punch. 2:10 AT&T announced today that it will be offering the quad-core LG Optimus G starting November 2 for $199.99 after a two-year carrier agreement. Preorders for the 4G LTE device begin tomorrow. Related Stories TV in the Bathroom: Technically Doable but a Very Bad Idea Best Laptop for …