Federal prosecutors are looking into whether mobile application makers, advertisers, and mobile app store owners are violating the law when it comes to transmitting users’ personal data. But what’s it all mean for average consumers? The music service Pandora disclosed in a U.S. Securities Exchange Commission filing recently that it has been subpoenaed by a …

I love podcasts. When I’m in the car, I like nothing better than to queue up shows like “This American Life,” “Wiretap,” and “A Prairie Home Companion,” to name just a few. Of course, if I forget to sync my iPhone for a few days, I won’t have the latest episodes on tap. The podcast manager (if you can call …

There are big leaks and there are little leaks. Just ask BP. This is a little leak, or rather a mini leak, or rather a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro leak. Blurry photos have emerged of a possible pre-production sample of the successor to the X10 Mini Pro. That’s right — the phone that doesn’t fill your pockets but is …

Apple gets back on Consumer Reports’ good side with the iPad 2. Apple In a decidedly different outcome from recent Consumer Reports findings regarding Apple products, the iPad 2 has topped the Consumer Reports charts for tablet computer devices, handily defeating all the new iPad competitors. Despite a wide array of highly touted and heavily marketed iPad rivals, including Motorola’s …

Even in its current state of transition, Nokia’s never been shy about attempting extreme cell phone design. We’ve seen everything form round keypads to square handsets, so it’s not surprising that the company puts out an occasional list of concept devices. Its latest batch isn’t very ambitious as concept phones go, but they show the various directions our favorite gadgets …

I am a smartphone user and an app-aholic. I love apps that can help me navigate a foreign country, find a local restaurant, check up on baseball scores, and tweak a photo. And don’t even get me started on solitaire apps; I’ve tried them all. But recent news about several popular apps sharing users’ information without their knowledge or consent …

iPhone owners who store files online through Mozy can now access those files remotely courtesy of the company’s new iPhone app. Lance Whitney/CNET Released last week for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, the mobile version of Mozy allows users of the service to retrieve and view their online files directly on their mobile devices. Before you can use Mozy …

AT&T has increased its early upgrade and no-commitment prices for new phones. Early upgrade pricing affects those who want to get a new handset but are not eligible for an upgrade, while no-commitment pricing affects those who do not want to sign a new contract. For early upgrades, pricing will go up to $50 for smartphones and $10 for other …

Apple’s AirPlay feature was announced back in 2010 but has been enhanced in recent months with new features. James Martin/CNET Airplay icon At some point you’ve probably heard about AirPlay, a wireless streaming feature found on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or any Mac or Windows PC running iTunes. While some features had been available for years under the AirTunes …

When the recent iOS 4.3 update brought the personal hotspot feature to iPhone users in the UK, those on O2 discovered they’d have to add a separate Internet tethering bolt-on to use it — for example, to piggyback on their phone’s connection with a Wi-Fi iPad 2. It wasn’t a new thing — O2 already offered this tethering bolt-on for …

If you’ve ever gone on holiday — whether on purpose or by mistake — and used your smart phone, you might well have had a nasty shock in your phone bill when you got home. If so, you’re not the only one. Charging a king’s ransom for data when you’re abroad seems to be standard practice, despite ongoing efforts by …

Boost Mobile is holding a press event tomorrow in New York City where the prepaid carrier should unveil, among other things, a new Android handset. Rumors had been gathering steam over the last few days that Boost will announce a no-contract Galaxy phone, dubbed the Prevail. Engadget obtained a PDF document that outlines Boost Mobile’s plans for the near future. …

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has thrown out Verizon and MetroPCS’ suits challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s new Net neutrality rules. The appeals court said in its order today that the suits filed in January by Verizon Communications and MetroPCS were premature. Specifically, the court said that Verizon and MetroPCS needed to wait until the …

Patently Apple A recent patent application, found by Patently Apple, shows Apple’s concept for using Spaces on future installments of iOS on the iPad. Anyone following the rumor mill and development patterns surrounding Apple’s iOS platform may not be entirely surprised by this patent, though its emergence may signal an arrival soon. According to the patent, “In some embodiments, the …

A variant of the Nexus S optimized for AT&T’s network has appeared on Samsung’s Web site. Listed with a model number of GT-I9020A, the handset is strikingly similar to the Samsung I9020T currently supported by T-Mobile. The Web site specifically mentions AT&T and references the carrier’s UMTS 850/1900 network bands, but with no announcement from Google or AT&T, this remains …