Barnes & Noble Many Kindle and Nook owners will agree: having an e-reader makes you read more. The problem is that e-books aren’t cheap–in fact, they don’t cost much less than their hard-copy counterparts. Luckily, the Internet is pretty good at making otherwise expensive things free. We scoured the Web and found a few different …

It’s without much fanfare that we learned about AT&T’s Sharp FX Plus, a rather entry-level Android 2.2 Froyo smartphone that has been available since July 30. Like the Sharp FX before it, the FX Plus is positioned as a messaging phone targeting the younger set. However, it does get an upgrade with Android, and a much rounder body that smooths …

MetroPCS’ smartphone strategy is paying off, its president said today, after the company reported disappointing second-quarter results. MetroPCS A fourth of MetroPCS’ customers use smartphones already, and 38 percent of its customers are tied to a family plan, Chief Operating Officer Thomas Keys said during a conference call with analysts. “The growth has been driven by increasing interest in smartphones,” …

Almost three years after the birth of the T-Mobile G1, the world’s first Android smartphone, we pause to take a look back at what the little green dude has given us. Sure, we’ve known that the OS has been very busy in the United States and around the world, but we really had no idea just how busy it was. …

Turn a favorite photo into your very own iPhone (or iPod Touch) case. Uncommon Which would you rather have protecting your iPhone: a boring black shell, or a beautiful color photo of your kids, dog, significant other, etc.? Uncommon turns any uploaded photo into an attractive, durable case for your iPhone or iPod Touch. (Custom cases for iPads are coming …

T-Mobile USA is replacing the outlets that will be lost when RadioShack switches to Verizon Wireless, and early today announced that its first new partner is 7-Eleven. T-Mobile and 7-Eleven said that, as of yesterday, consumers can buy prepaid handsets at the convenience store chain. The partnership signals T-Mobile’s increasing presence in the prepaid area; 7-Eleven is already known for …

Otterbox remains king of the rugged smartphone case arena, but there are plenty of alternatives, including Speck’s new ToughShell for iPhone 4. Like other rugged cases, this one has multiple layers of protection (three to be exact) and it comes with the requisite detachable holster with rotating belt clip that doubles as a viewing stand. Speck, which makes some of …

Virgin Media is holding its mobile tariffs upside down and agitating them by the ankles, shaking loose a slew of new bolt-ons and — joy of joys — some 12-month contracts. Contract lengths have crept ever upwards in recent years, like some kind of expensive spider, with 24-month contracts sadly now the default. That’s annoying, because advances in the mobile …

Ain’t no party like a Nokia and Microsoft party! The software giant behind Windows Phone and the financially troubled Finnish phone flinger are getting together for a soiree in Germany — but will the guest of honour be a Nokia Windows Phone? Nokia plans to launch its first smart phones using Windows Phone software before the end of the year. …

When will Steve Jobs deem the iPhone 5 ready for launch? Apple As the rumor mill surrounding the impending release of Apple’s iPhone 5 continues to churn, wireless carriers find themselves in the mix, reportedly testing the latest version of the iPhone for network compatibility and stability. The Guardian (U.K.) has filed a report saying that its sources claim that …