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Samsung boss says it must ditch hardware focus in 2014

Most of us may have already jacked in our new year’s resolutions, but Samsung has only just made one. So what’s it going to do? Lose some weight? Get more exercise? Well possibly, but it could also do with focussing less on hardware, according to its boss. In his annual speech to employees, chairman Lee Kun-hee said the company needed …

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Ferrari designer’s smart bracelet to cost £115,000

We’re sure to see a host of new wrist-worn devices at CES — LG and Samsung are just two companies rumoured to be readying their own fitness trackers — but here’s one that’s ridiculously, unashamedly lavish. It’s designed by Miami-based tech wearables firm Christophe & Co, which has a partnership with Pininfarina, the company that has designed Ferrari’s cars since …

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Pebble Steel declassified: Raising the smartwatch design bar without breaking the mold

Now playing: Watch this: Pebble introduces Steel smartwatch, app store 5:05 If 2014 is to be the year of the wearable it’s at least partly thanks to the success of the Pebble in 2013. Sure, it was 2012 that the company’s smartwatch hit Kickstarter and promptly blew the minds of many would-be entrepreneurs, raising a record-breaking $10 million on the …

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County Durham woman jailed for £450,000 iPad scam

A woman from County Durham has been jailed for two years for scamming hundreds of people in an iPad swindle, the BBC reports. Kirsty Cox duped customers into thinking she could get them the tablet PC at a reduced price. The scam went on between March and December 2012, and was worth £450,000. Customers paid the 37-year-old for the devices, …

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AT&T says it still has BlackBerry’s back

LAS VEGAS — AT&T has not abandoned BlackBerry. In fact, the Dallas telecom giant continues to lend its help to the struggling company, which is in the middle of transforming itself into a more business-focused company. “We’re supporting their efforts to continue being a viable supplier,” said Ralph de la Vega, head of AT&T’s mobility business, in an interview with …

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AT&T’s connected car push shifts into high gear with Drive

LAS VEGAS — AT&T is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to its drive to turn cars into smartphones. The Dallas-based telecommunications company on Monday unveiled AT&T Drive, a platform that allows automakers to add connected services such as in-car entertainment systems, over-the-air diagnostic systems, and other cellular-enabled features. In addition, AT&T will open the 5,000-square-foot …

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T

T-Mobile has signed a deal to buy blocks of 700MHz radio-frequency spectrum from Verizon Wireless for nearly $2.37 billion and to give up some wireless spectrum of its own worth $950 million, the company announced Monday. Wireless spectrum is a precious commodity, particularly for a company like T-Mobile that’s seeking to catch up to Verizon and AT&T in 4G coverage. …

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Smartphones of CES 2014

Smartphones stalked the CES show floor, showing off quad- and even octa-core muscle, 13-megapixel cameras, and larger-than-life screens. Get to know the best and worst of these phablets and more with our video roundup. Asus PadFone Mini pairs a little tablet with a little phone Asus has taken a shrink-ray to its docking tablet tech. Will smaller screens make it …

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AT&T dials up toll

LAS VEGAS — AT&T is shaking up how it will deliver and charge for specific kinds of data. The company on Monday introduced “Sponsored Data,” or data that is paid is for by a business that wouldn’t count against a subscriber’s capped plan. Think a toll free 1-800 number or free shipping for the delivery of data. The notion of …

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