The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its investigation of cell phone text message pricing without any action taken against wireless operators, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The Justice Department launched its investigation into text message pricing in September 2008, after Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) asked the agency to look into why wireless operators …

The Federal Communications Commission was flooded Thursday at midnight with filings from technology and communications companies, industry lobbying groups, and consumer advocates putting in their two cents on upcoming Open Internet rules being created by the agency. Thursday’s deadline created a sea of paperwork for FCC officials who are already scrambling to complete a massive report detailing plans for a …

While flying to Las Vegas for CES 2010, I came across a great article in “The Economist” that described how culture affects cell phone use around the world. Not a groundbreaking concept, I know, but the article gave a fascinating look at just how differently cell phones are used across the planet. Indeed, as the number of cell phone subscribers …

Attention all you fashionistas out there. Samsung has launched a new line of cell phones called the Samsung Diva Collection 2010 to satisfy your inner diva. Designed by Estonian model Carmen Kass, the line is targeted toward “fashionable women” and consists of two devices, the Samsung Diva S7070 and the Samsung Diva S5150. Both phones feature an embossed quilted back …

More cities and countries are enjoying faster Internet speeds, according to the latest State of the Internet report released Wednesday by Akamai. Looking at the third quarter of 2009, the report found that most countries in the top-10 list for Internet performance saw an average 18 percent increase in speed from the second quarter. South Korea topped the list, with …

We’ve spent more than a week with our Nexus One, but still we’ve been unable to sync a Yahoo Mail account with the phone. Each time that we tried (we’ve used two accounts), we received an alert that the phone does not support all Yahoo Mail. That’s the first time we’ve seen such an alert on a Google Android handset, …

Though the MotoBlur interface is a highlight of the Google-Android-powered Motorola Cliq, I wasn’t sure if I liked it during my first experience with the phone. I enjoyed the capability to merge my contacts from various sources and access a universal in-box for e-mail and messages, but the constant flow of information seemed a bit overwhelming. MotoBlur is a central …

First the divas and now the rockers. On Thursday, T-Mobile announced that it will release a special edition of the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G that has been redesigned in partnership with renowned guitar manufacturer, Fender. The myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition model will be available starting on January 20 for $179.99 with a two-year contract and features a new sunburst finish …

Cox Communications is aiming for March to launch its wireless service, the company said Wednesday. The cable operator is initially partnering with Sprint Nextel to resell its wireless service to customers. Cox already bundles high-speed Internet, telephony, and TV. Wireless service will create a quadruple play. The company hasn’t announced pricing yet but has said that the service will launch …

Most girls younger than 10 will want to get their paws on Littlest Pet Shop. Electronic Arts What’s that sound you hear you ask? It’s a gazillion tween-age girls squealing with delight. Littlest Pet Shop, one of my 10-year-old daughter’s favorite toys for the last several years, just got the iPhone-iPod Touch treatment (iTunes link). For those unfamiliar with the …