European telcos say companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook should pay to help them keep up with growing demand for data on their networks, according to an article published by Bloomberg today. France Telecom-Orange, Telecom Italia, and Vodafone Group would like to charge content providers fees linked to usage to help cover the cost of …

As Kent German mentioned earlier, we’ve reviewed close to 200 mobile phones this year, and as 2010 draws to a close, we thought it’d be a good time to mention some of the highs and lows. We’ve already shown you our list of best and worst cell phones of 2010, and now it’s time to do the same for smartphones. …

Google has given us a taste of Honeycomb, an upcoming version of Android. Hot on the heels of the new Google Nexus S phone, which runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Honeycomb was revealed on a prototype Motorola tablet. Gingerbread isn’t even out yet, but Google is already working on “an early version” of Honeycomb. The big G’s Android kingpin, Andy Rubin, showed …

It’s official: AT&T is considered the worst cell phone network in the U.S., despite the fact it keeps attracting new customers interested in the iPhone, according to a survey of nearly 60,000 wireless consumers by Consumer Reports. AT&T continues to rack up new subscribers every quarter due to its exclusive iPhone deal, but the company is slipping in terms of …

Part of the fun of owning an Android phone is receiving the updates — you never know what new treats will arrive when one appears on your phone, like Santa coming down the chimney on Christmas Eve. Android 2.2 Froyo was better than its incremental version number suggested, since it brought the wonders of Flash Player 10.1 to the Web …

There was the LG Optimus T for T-Mobile, the Optimus S for Sprint, the Optimus M for MetroPCS, and now U.S. Cellular has its own in the form of the LG Optimus U (Verizon has the LG Vortex, which is in the same family of phones but doesn’t share the Optimus moniker). The entry-level Android phone shares the same specifications …

Apple According to sources in Taiwan talking to DigiTimes, Apple’s initial shipments of the much-anticipated iPad 2 are 100 days away with expected stock levels to be between 400,000 and 600,000. The end of February could be the target ship time for the iPad 2, according to this report. “Apple originally planned to start mass production in January, but because …

The D: Dive into Mobile conference offers a look at how things are revving up on portable devices, with appearances by honchos from Google, Microsoft, Spotify, and elsewhere. RIM’s Playbook the linchpin of a 10-year plan The QNX software at the heart of Research In Motion’s Playbook tablet represents its plan for the next decade, according to the company’s co-CEO. …

As promising as the new Samsung Nexus S sounds, there are a few notable issues that might give some potential buyers pause for concern. Yes, the Nexus S could rank as a premier smartphone when it arrives given its new NFC chip, contour display, and Gingerbread, but the advantages over its Nexus One predecessor aren’t many. I think it’s only …

Though much of the wireless world is gathering this week in San Francisco at D: Dive into Mobile in San Francisco, it’s not the only industry gathering this week. Yesterday at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in New York, execs from AT&T and Verizon Wireless discussed the ever-changing topic of data plans for smartphones. Verizon Verizon Wireless CEO …

For Android users who like the overall vibe of good, old-fashioned terrestrial radio but would prefer not to cart around a separate device just for the pleasure of listening to ad-riddled FM, there are several solutions in the form of apps. One is Mundu Radio, a free app that packages Shoutcast specifically for the mobile platform. The Internet radio giant …

I’m a huge, huge fan of “The Daily Show.” It’s the single funniest thing on TV, and Jon Stewart is perhaps the smartest guy ever to sit behind a talk-show desk. (The less said about his interviewing skills, however, the better.) Needless to say, it didn’t take a lot of arm-twisting for me to grab the new The Daily Show …

IPTV, or internet TV, is a service that enables you to quickly access a wealth of video content and can be as easy to use as turning on your TV. No matter whether you’re looking to find a quick diversion during your coffee break, to catch up on a show you missed or to sit down to the latest movie …

Good news everybody! Virgin Media has finally announced details of its first TiVo-powered device. The set-top box will access the Web and show you 3D, high-definition and on-demand content, as well as learning what you like and recommending. The box comes with a thoroughly respectable terabyte of storage, housing up to 500 hours of content. A built-in internal modem connects …

We forgive you if you don’t know what TiVo is. Any Americans reading will tell you it’s a PVR that’s done for TV recording what Apple did for MP3 players. Like Google, its success has made its name a verb, leading to some employment for our learned friends. Central to its appeal is a simple, user-friendly interface that makes recording …