If I were a technology acquisition matchmaker, I’d definitely set tech giant Cisco Systems up with Skype. The companies complement each other so well, it seems as though they’d be a match made in heaven. In fact, I’d argue they are much more compatible than Skype and eBay ever were. eBay acquired Skype in 2006 …

As some of you know by now, Apple is hosting a “special event” Wednesday, September 1, 2010, to unveil something–perhaps several somethings. According to the rumor mill, Apple might take the wraps off an iPad with a 7-inch screen or a new-and-improved version of the Apple TV–which many people are guessing the company will call the iTV. Traditionally, September is …

Welcome to the 411, my column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have similar queries, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I’m stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at [email protected]. If you …

Cisco Systems may be making a play for Internet phone service Skype, according to a TechCrunch report. The blog cited an unnamed source who claims that Cisco has made an offer to acquire Skype before the company completes its initial public offering. Skype filed for an IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month. TechCrunch admited that …

Germany will soon be able to say hello to the Samsung Wave 723, the newest model of the smartphone built on Samsung’s open Bada platform. Samsung will release the Wave 723, also known as GT-S7230E, in Germany in September, and then it will gradually release it to other countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The Wave …

The HTC Desire finally makes its long-awaited American debut today through U.S. Cellular. The carrier has been promising to bring the smartphone to its network for a few months as it plans to bolster its Android offerings. The Desire runs Android 2.1 and has a 3.7-inch Super LCD, a 5-megapixel camera, and the ever-popular 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The phone costs …

They might be dying out in the UK — a poignant, elegant reminder of a time before mobile phones — but Google is taking red telephone boxes across the Atlantic. After the integration of Google Voice into Gmail was announced, it was also revealed that the K6 (as the red telephone box is also known) would be installed in a …

Have you ever wondered why it’s so difficult to find information about when your wireless contract ends? Or have you ever gotten so angry at a service provider that you threaten to cancel all the services you get bundled from them? Well, you’re not alone. This week in Ask Maggie, I answer one reader’s question about finding information on a …

MetroPCS has plans to launch its LTE network in September using Samsung networking equipment, according to Jaebeom Choi, a Samsung executive in charge of systems research and development. The Wall Street Journal reports that MetroPCS will also have a Samsung phone called the Samsung Craft (also known as the Samsung SCH-R900), which promises to be the first LTE phone. The …

Al Moschner probably wouldn’t blame you if you’ve never heard of Cricket Wireless. But if he has his way, you’ll know about his company soon enough. As the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the nation’s seventh-largest wireless carrier, Moschner directs marketing and branding efforts for Cricket’s products and services. A subsidiary of Leap Wireless International founded in …