February, 2013

• 7 February

  J.D. Power: Verizon again tops in customer care survey

  

  For thefourth consecutive time, J.D. Power and Associates has named Verizon Wireless as the leader in customer care among full-service wireless providers. The semiannual report is based on feedback from thousands of consumers, scoring carriers based on three contact channels: telephone; walk-in (retail store); and online. J.D. Power and Associates Verizon leads all full-service providers …

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• 7 February

  Amazon to sell used ebooks

  

  Amazon has won a patent for technology that will enable an “electronic marketplace for used digital objects”. (Credit: Amazon; CBSi) In news that made us double-, then triple-take, Amazon is seeking to create a marketplace for second-hand ebooks. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds; a service called ReDigi, which has been around since October 2011, already allows you to …

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• 7 February

  Five things the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 needs

  

  With the release of the Windows 8 Surface Pro, Microsoft has reclaimed some of the good will it lost with the Surface RT. Unlike the earlier Surface product, the Pro features the full version of Windows 8, uses a powerful Intel Core i5 CPU, and can install and run just about any software app that a standard laptop or desktop …

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• 7 February

  Sprint CEO: No changes in smartphone pricing expected

  

  Sprint Nextel won’t be abandoning its unlimited data plan or current pricing structure any time soon. The company isn’t considering any changes to its current offering, CEO Dan Hesse said during a conference call with investors today. “We always reserve the right to make changes, but we are not anticipating any,” Hesse said. Related stories T-Mobile Laying Off More Workers …

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• 7 February

  Samsung, EA team up for mobile apps initiative

  

  Samsung and Electronic Arts-owned mobile game publishing house Chilliingo have signed a deal aimed at increasing the number of apps delivered to Samsung’s application marketplace. The program is called 100% Indie and is a joint venture between Chillingo and Samsung. The initiative gets its name from the surprisingly attractive deal the companies are offering developers: 100 percent of the revenue …

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• 7 February

  Samsung Galaxy S4 tipped for 15 March debut, April launch

  

  Samsung Galaxy S4 rumours are swirling around us like pinwheeling ghouls, with the latest spurious spectral speculation suggesting a 15 March debut for Samsung’s next major mobile. Citing a ‘trusted insider’, SamMobile claims the Galaxy S4 will see the light bang in the middle of March, likely at a bespoke Samsung event. Invites to the Samsung Spring Smart Phone Cotillion …

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• 7 February

  Alcatel

  

  Alcatel-Lucent announced today that Ben Verwaayen is resigning after serving four years as CEO of the Franco-American network equipment maker. The imminent resignation of Verwaayen, who will stay on while the company’s board searches for a replacement, was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal. “Alcatel-Lucent has been an enormous part of my life,” Verwaayen said in a company statement. …

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• 7 February

  BlackBerry plans new PlayBook as Z10 is best ever UK launch

  

  BlackBerry is making another play for a tablet. Hard on the heels of the launch of the next generation operating system BlackBerry 10, the company is planning a sequel to the disastrous PlayBook tablet — while the new Z10 has the best-selling launch the company’s ever seen. The new Z10, first to showcase the new BB10 software, sold three times …

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• 7 February

  BlackBerry 10 smartphones won’t be sold in Japan

  

  As BlackBerry rolls deeper into the smartphone world with the launch of BlackBerry 10, it looks like some countries will be left off of the map. The device maker confirmed today that it has no plans to launch any BlackBerry 10 smartphones in Japan. “We are in the process of launching BlackBerry 10 globally in key markets and we are …

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• 7 February

  Sprint’s coming identity shift offers hope

  

  Sprint Nextel is in for a massive overhaul. The nation’s third-largest wireless carrier will finally rid itself of the Nextel albatross — both the service and the name — by the end of the first half of the year. It will merge with SoftBank, giving it access to cash to speed its network deployment. It will also acquire full control …

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