The BlackBerry Colt is quick on the draw as the first a new generation of smart phone. Last week saw the announcement of the BlackBerry Bold 9900, Torch 9810 and 9860, a trio of phones using the latest BlackBerry 7 software, but the forthcoming Colt is the first phone to be powered by the QNX …

ZTE may not be a recognizable brand in the U.S., but it is quickly becoming a major player in the handset arena. ZTE’s Blade is looking for a U.S. home. Jessica Dolcourt/CNET The Chinese telecommunications-equipment manufacturer said today that it sold 35 million handsets in the first half of the year, representing a 30 percent increase from a year ago. …

Heartland Payment Systems, which processes payments across the country, is the latest company to jump on the mobile-payment bandwagon. Heartland Payment Systems The Princeton, N.J.-based company said today that it was launching a system to allow merchants to accept payments through smartphones and tablets, similar to Square or Verifone. The system, called Mobuyle, includes an Android application and an encrypting …

We’ve had the Samsung Galaxy S2 in our sky rocket for a while, so we’ve decided to reward you with a monster of a review. With a software update and even a white version on the cards, everything you need to know about the phone is in our Samsung Galaxy S2 review, so take a look. Samsung has now updated …

Subscribers to major newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel may soon find themselves reading their daily rag on an Android tablet. New reports have surfaced that indicate news publisher Tribune Co. is working in conjunction with Samsung to release a tablet with apps and services that feature the regional newspapers. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, several …

The Federal Communications Commission said today that it will take a “coordinated” look at AT&T’s proposed acquisition of both T-Mobile USA and spectrum controlled by Qualcomm. CBS/AP TechCrunch reported that the FCC had informed AT&T that the reviews would be done together, which would put the telecommunications giant in the position of justifying the acquisition of such a large amount …

The battle over prepaid between T-Mobile USA and Sprint Nextel’s Virgin Mobile just got a little uglier. T-Mobile and its ever-present spokeswoman, Carly, were the targets of a new commercial from Virgin, which argues that it offers the best value for a smartphone customer looking to avoid long-term service contracts. The advertisement underscores the growing importance of the prepaid wireless …

Mobile phone operators could be doing more to beef up security of their voice mail systems, say some security experts. Since it was revealed that thousands of cell phone voice mails had been hacked in the U.K., wireless subscribers all over the world have wondered whether their voice mails are safe. And experts have been touting the importance of using …

T-Mobile USA customers who purchase digital goods online and opt to have the charge show up on their phone bill are vulnerable to fraud, according to Consumers Union. The consumer advocacy group said today that the carrier’s mobile-payment plans aren’t covered by standard protections that guard against fraud with credit or debit card charges. “Mobile payment products promise a new, …

Welcome to Smartphones Unlocked, my new monthly column designed to explain the ins and outs of smartphones to help you better understand how they work. The world of smartphones is fast-paced and can sometimes be confusing and difficult to keep track of all the new technology in these devices, particularly if you’re new to them, so if there are any …

In an unlikely — and potentially extremely fruity — coupling, Orange is teaming up with Apple to bless Orange customers with a free iTunes movie rental every Thursday. The service is called Film to Go, and is a bit like a trendy, digital, one-day-later version of the popular Orange Wednesdays service, which scores you two-for-one cinema tickets every Wednesday. Here’s …

As a nation, we’re apparently addicted to our blowers, yet phone networks aren’t the ones cashing in, as contracts get cheaper and we use more data. Ofcom‘s annual report on mobile-phone use reveals that nine out of ten people in Britain own a mobile phone, and nearly a third own a smart phone. Not only are mobile phones ubiquitous, but one in seven households has ditched …

Samsung Galaxy S Josh Miller If you’ve got a taste for plain old vanilla Android Froyo or Gingerbread, finding a smartphone without all of a carrier’s and manufacturer’s extra toppings is harder than you might imagine. Custom interfaces that sit on top of the Android foundation cost phone makers (and sometimes carriers, who can also weigh in) time and money …

When it comes to the mobile world, it’s all about apps. Screenshot by Nicole Cozma More than ever, people are using apps to augment the capabilities of their smartphones. They can remind you of your next meeting, play the latest Lady Gaga song, and make catapulting virtual birds into evil pigs a family pastime. Likewise, they’re increasingly important to the …

London burned this weekend as rioters and looters took to the streets of Tottenham. It’s been widely reported that the trouble was co-ordinated through Facebook, Twitter and even BlackBerry Messenger, but can we really blame social-media software? The spotlight has mainly focused on BlackBerry Messenger. BlackBerry phones have a reputation for being worn in the belt holsters of power-suited executives, but they’re …