February, 2010

• 25 February

  T

  

  T-Mobile USA gained ground in signing up new subscribers during the fourth quarter, but much of the surge came from its prepaid business. T-Mobile USA parent company Deutsche Telekom reported earnings on Thursday. The U.S. carrier, the smallest of the big four nationwide carriers, said it added a total of 371,000 new subscribers in the …

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• 25 February

  Sorry Android, she’s just not that into you

  

  When it comes to smartphones, men love them some Android; but women, well, they’re finding love elsewhere. That’s what a new study by AdMob would have you believe, anyway. For its January Mobile Metrics report (PDF), AdMob conducted an opt-in survey of consumers using iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, and Palm WebOS devices to find out how they interact with applications. …

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• 25 February

  AT&T expands 3G Microcell availability

  

  AT&T’s 3G Microcell promises five bars in your home. AT&T Remember that 3G Microcell that AT&T pushed out to a public market trial in Charlotte, N.C. last year? Well, AT&T has finally decided to expand the availability of its femtocell to just a few more places–sorry, New York and San Francisco not included. The extended areas include “select counties” in …

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• 25 February

  Mobile carriers, Google defend cancellation fees

  

  U.S. mobile operators, , in letters sent to the Federal Communications Commission earlier this week, defended their use of early termination fees and explained how they are informing consumers about their policies. In January, the FCC asked each of the four major wireless carriers, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile USA, along with Google to detail how they inform …

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• 25 February

  On Call: Early termination fees aren’t the problem, but customer clarity is

  

  You may be surprised to learn that Tuesday, Feb. 23 was a big day in the U.S. wireless industry. It marked the deadline for cell phone carriers to respond to an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission into early termination fees (ETF). Though ETFs are nothing new, it was only in the last couple of years that the Feds put …

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• 25 February

  Data roaming in Europe: New rules, new Orange and T

  

  After spending a week at Mobile World Congress, roaming like the escaped feline monstrosities that stalk the green fields of Britain, we’ve incurred data charges that could bankrupt Greece. But, as of 1 March, we’re all going to get a little extra help to avoid the shock that rocks our tiny minds when the bill comes in. The European Commission …

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• 25 February

  Poll: Are 99

  

  C’mon, networks. Let Apple charge 99 cents for TV shows. Sales will go through the roof, I promise. Apple Confession time: In the nearly five years since iTunes began selling TV shows, I’ve purchased exactly zero. Why? Because I think Apple’s $1.99-per-episode price tag is too high. Apple seems to think so, too, which is why the company is reportedly …

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• 25 February

  HTC Incredible inching toward Verizon

  

  HTC Incredible pocketnow.com One handset we’ve yet to really tackle on Android Atlas is the forthcoming HTC Incredible. Designed like the Nexus One, the Incredible boasts a 3.7-inch display, 256MB RAM, an optical trackpad, and Android 2.1 with HTC’s Sense UI. The screen is said to be “very vibrant” and may be AMOLED, like the recently announced Desire and Legend. …

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• 24 February

  Dialed In 116: MWC 2010 postmortem (podcast)

  

  Our little Dialed In family is back together once again. After enduring some technical difficulties and travel nightmares, Kent and I are back from Barcelona, Spain, to join Nicole in the studio where we reflect on all the news from Mobile World Congress 2010. If there’s one takeaway from the show, it’s that software will play a primary role in …

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• 24 February

  Best £10 mobile

  

  It’s February and I’ve spent all my Christmas money on gadgets, pints and carpet-flavoured crisps, so I’m happy to see the networks are locking horns with uber-cheap deals, sparking a new low — the £10 tariff. You’re not going to get the sexiest new smart phone for free on this tariff, but there are some good budget phones available at …

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