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$19 for unlimited cell phone service? Am I dreaming?

Cash-strapped wireless subscribers can now get unlimited everything smartphone service for less than $20 a month. So what’s the catch? And is it really worth it? That’s the question I help answer for one reader in this edition of Ask Maggie. Indeed, Republic Wireless’s $19 a month plan requires customers use Wi-Fi wherever they can. …

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LG super slim TV and cube iPod dock emerge

Right. Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve got the lowdown on some new LG gear not set to go on show until January. So keep it to yourself. The 2012 CES Innovation Awards have been handed out, bringing us news on a couple of rather tasty products, reports The Verge. Not only is there are insanely thin TV, there’s also an …

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Nokia Lumia 800 making

The Nokia Lumia 800 has people “looking at Nokia with fresh eyes again”, according to a new video showing how the new Windows Phone was designed. The video goes behind the scenes at Nokia’s London design studio — not a million miles from CNET Towers, as it happens — where a “SWAT team” of industrial design and user experience bods …

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Google Wallet is good for mobile payments, says rival Isis

Michael Abbott, the CEO of carrier-backed mobile payments joint venture Isis, has an interesting take on rival Google Wallet: “It’s the best thing that could happen.” That’s not the sort of thing you would expect to hear from the head of a venture that is planning to roll out its own mobile-payment system, designed to allow consumers to tap their …

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Motorola Defy ads banned for being misleading

Party foul! Ads for the Motorola Defy have been banned, after the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) declared that the rugged Android mobile isn’t as party-proof as its adverts would have you believe. Two TV ads showed the Defy surviving being dropped on to the floor in a club, and doused at a sexy pool party. On-screen accompanying text says it’s …

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Infinity Blade 2 is bigger, with new enemies and more

Infinity Blade is back, in a sword-swinging sequel for the iPhone and iPad, looking bigger and bolder than the first game, with a bigger world and a host of new baddies and upgrades. Developer Chair has being showing off Infinity Blade 2 to gaming site IGN, which reports that the follow-up to the technically jaw-dropping iOS hack-and-slasher will serve up …

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How Siri knows when you’re near

We were all aware that the iPhone’s personal assistant Siri was a clever little helper — but weren’t aware of exactly how clever. iFixit has found a new function for the infrared LED proximity sensor on the iPhone 4S. Previously this dimmed the screen when you held the handset to your face to make a call, so that you didn’t …

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Memo to RIM: Don’t give up your keyboard

commentary Dear Research In Motion, A mock-up of the rumored BlackBerry Colt. N4BB I know I’ve taken a few shots at you for not moving quickly enough to keep pace with your competitors. But there are some sacred cows you shouldn’t sacrifice in the name of progress. It would be a mistake to go away from the classic design of …

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How to update HTC Desire to Android 2.3 Gingerbread

So you’ve decided to bite the bullet and update your HTC Desireto Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough to make sure you don’t go wrong — it’s a little more complicatedthan the usual over the air upgrade. Before you proceed you should understand that all data will be wiped from your phone’s internal memory. The Flashlight and Teeter apps …

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