Wireless News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/wireless/ Get the latest wireless news headlines from Yahoo! News. Find breaking wireless news, including analysis and opinion on top wireless stories, photos and more.en-USCopyright (c) 2013 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reservedFri, 26 Jul 2013 21:00:32 -04005Wireless News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/wireless/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gifSizing up the mobile handset market in Q2The smartphone market really heated up in the second quarter as Samsung widened its lead over Apple and became the most profitable handset vendor in the world, but there was also some drama in the overall mobile handset market. According to market research firm IDC, global mobile phone shipments grew 6% on-year in Q2 2013 to an astounding 432.1 million units. As impressive as that figure is though, it represents only a marginal improvement over the first quarter?s 428.8 million units. Samsung was the top mobile handset vendor in the world by a huge margin according to IDC?s data. The South Korea-based giant shipped an estimated 113.4 million cell phones worldwide in the second quarter to take 26.2% of thehttp://news.yahoo.com/sizing-mobile-handset-market-q2-010032274.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 21:00:32 -0400sizing-mobile-handset-market-q2-010032274Apple awarded ?Brand of the Year? for iPhone, iPad and MacBookApple for the second consecutive year won the Harris Interactive?s ?Brand of the Year? award in three categories. The company beat out rivals including Google, Samsung and Amazon to earn the award for its MacBook computers, iPad and iPhone. Apple?s computers led HP, Dell and Sony, while the iPad bested Amazon?s Kindle Fire devices, Google?s Nexus tablets and Samsung?s various Galaxy tablets. The iPhone was the top brand for mobile devices, ahead of HTC, Samsung and LG. Verizon was also awarded top prepaid carrier of the year for the second consecutive year and top mobile network for the third year in a row. Harris Interactive?s press release follows below. Apple Pulls a Hat Trick with Brand of the Year Statushttp://news.yahoo.com/apple-awarded-brand-iphone-ipad-macbook-001556327.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 20:15:56 -0400apple-awarded-brand-iphone-ipad-macbook-001556327Next-gen Nexus 7 now available to order on Google PlayEveryone who wants a shiny new Nexus 7 tablet should head to Google Play right now. Google on Friday announced that the next-generation Nexus 7 is now available to order on the Google Play store, days before its expected retail launch. Google?s new Nexus 7, which it unveiled during a media event earlier this week, features?a 7-inch display with 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution,?a quad-core?1.5GHz?Snapdragon S4 Pro processor,?Adreno 320 graphics, a 5-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, optional 4G LTE, HDMI output, NFC, wireless charging support and Android 4.3. Google is selling the tablet starting at $229 and is pledging that orders will ship by July 30th.http://news.yahoo.com/next-gen-nexus-7-now-available-order-google-193501984.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 15:35:01 -0400next-gen-nexus-7-now-available-order-google-193501984Android?s next big feature may be real-time language translationGoogle is building a mobile translator that will one day make traveling around the world a breeze. Hugo Barra, Google vice president of product management for Android, revealed that the company is in the early stages of developing a ?real time? translation tool, The Times reported. He noted that his team has created ?tons of prototypes,? adding that he plays with the device ?every other week to see how much progress we?ve made.? While the technology may be a few years away, the executive said the system is ?near-perfect for certain language pairs?, such as English and Portuguese, ?and has ?close to 100% accuracy? in a room with no added noise. Poor microphones or noisy environments, however, are still provinghttp://news.yahoo.com/android-next-big-feature-may-real-time-language-191055857.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 15:10:55 -0400android-next-big-feature-may-real-time-language-191055857Nokia exec wants Microsoft to step up its game with Windows Phone appsWhen Nokia unveiled the Lumia 1020 and its 41-megapixel camera earlier this month, it was a clear sign that the company was committed to giving consumers something that no other smartphone could offer. Now it seems that Nokia wants Microsoft to put the same kind of effort into getting the Windows Phone platform up to speed with iOS and Android. In an interview with The International Business Times, Nokia vice president?Byran Biniak said that Nokia was trying to ?evolve the cultural thinking [at Microsoft] to say ?time is of the essence.??Waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets, doesn?t do us any good when I have phones to sell today.? To that end,?Biniakhttp://news.yahoo.com/nokia-exec-wants-microsoft-step-game-windows-phone-183559227.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 14:35:59 -0400nokia-exec-wants-microsoft-step-game-windows-phone-183559227The smartphone market?s huge Q2 growth is awful news for big brandsMarket research giant IDC recently announced?surprisingly strong?spring smartphone numbers. Global smartphone volume growth topped expectations handily, coming in at torrid +52% between the second quarter last year and the second quarter this year. This is not good news for the industry ? quite the opposite, in fact. We already know that companies like HTC, Nokia and BlackBerry missed shipment expectations and Samsung?s profitability came in weaker than expected, though Samsung?s volumes were fine. Out of leading brands, only Apple really beat consensus expectations, and that happened because consensus had plunged so low. Even though Apple beat Wall Street?s consensus, its global smartphone market share dropped by a stiff three percentage points. That 52% global smartphone volume growth is a?brutal?shock forhttp://news.yahoo.com/smartphone-market-huge-q2-growth-awful-news-big-165038944.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 12:50:38 -0400smartphone-market-huge-q2-growth-awful-news-big-165038944Profit growth returns as Celestica shrugs off BlackBerry loss<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/celestica-profit-rises-communications-business-grows-111022651.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/kgR86m49jW9nwGZhg4a1yw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/images/IN_AHTTP_REUTERS_WRAPPER_BUS_NEW/2013-06-28T123616Z_1_CDEE95R0Z0K00_RTROPTP_3_BLACKBERRY-RESULTS_original.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="(Blank Headline Received)" align="left" title="(Blank Headline Received)" border="0" /></a>By Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay (Reuters) - Contract electronics manufacturer Celestica Inc posted its first rise in profit in five quarters, sending its stock up the most in two years and allying concerns about its growth after it ended a contract with BlackBerry Ltd . The 19 percent rise in profit in the second quarter was partly due to stronger-than-expected demand at the Canadian company's fastest growing and largest unit, communications, which makes networking equipment for telecom companies. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/celestica-profit-rises-communications-business-grows-111022651.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 12:31:11 -0400celestica-profit-rises-communications-business-grows-111022651<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/celestica-profit-rises-communications-business-grows-111022651.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/kgR86m49jW9nwGZhg4a1yw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://globalfinance.zenfs.com/images/IN_AHTTP_REUTERS_WRAPPER_BUS_NEW/2013-06-28T123616Z_1_CDEE95R0Z0K00_RTROPTP_3_BLACKBERRY-RESULTS_original.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="(Blank Headline Received)" align="left" title="(Blank Headline Received)" border="0" /></a>By Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay (Reuters) - Contract electronics manufacturer Celestica Inc posted its first rise in profit in five quarters, sending its stock up the most in two years and allying concerns about its growth after it ended a contract with BlackBerry Ltd . The 19 percent rise in profit in the second quarter was partly due to stronger-than-expected demand at the Canadian company's fastest growing and largest unit, communications, which makes networking equipment for telecom companies. ...</p><br clear="all"/>T-Mobile nixes down payments, ups monthly fees<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/t-mobile-nixes-down-payments-ups-monthly-fees-151238485.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ATmD.3jwiE8kc7Pph8b8bA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/253ef668c2e38518380f6a70670094a6.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Wednesday, July 10, 2013, photo, T-Mobile CEO John Legere speaks during news conference in New York. T-Mobile says it will let people upgrade phones more quickly for a $10 monthly fee. With the new Jump plan, a customer will be able to get a new phone if the old one malfunctions or gets lost, or even if there's a better phone that comes out. The plan lets customers upgrade up to twice a year. Rivals typically allow upgrades after about two years. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)" align="left" title="In this Wednesday, July 10, 2013, photo, T-Mobile CEO John Legere speaks during news conference in New York. T-Mobile says it will let people upgrade phones more quickly for a $10 monthly fee. With the new Jump plan, a customer will be able to get a new phone if the old one malfunctions or gets lost, or even if there's a better phone that comes out. The plan lets customers upgrade up to twice a year. Rivals typically allow upgrades after about two years. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? T-Mobile said Friday that it is temporarily eliminating upfront payments on new phones, but it is increasing the prices for some models through higher monthly payments.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/t-mobile-nixes-down-payments-ups-monthly-fees-151238485.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 12:22:50 -0400t-mobile-nixes-down-payments-ups-monthly-fees-151238485<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/t-mobile-nixes-down-payments-ups-monthly-fees-151238485.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ATmD.3jwiE8kc7Pph8b8bA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/253ef668c2e38518380f6a70670094a6.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Wednesday, July 10, 2013, photo, T-Mobile CEO John Legere speaks during news conference in New York. T-Mobile says it will let people upgrade phones more quickly for a $10 monthly fee. With the new Jump plan, a customer will be able to get a new phone if the old one malfunctions or gets lost, or even if there's a better phone that comes out. The plan lets customers upgrade up to twice a year. Rivals typically allow upgrades after about two years. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)" align="left" title="In this Wednesday, July 10, 2013, photo, T-Mobile CEO John Legere speaks during news conference in New York. T-Mobile says it will let people upgrade phones more quickly for a $10 monthly fee. With the new Jump plan, a customer will be able to get a new phone if the old one malfunctions or gets lost, or even if there's a better phone that comes out. The plan lets customers upgrade up to twice a year. Rivals typically allow upgrades after about two years. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? T-Mobile said Friday that it is temporarily eliminating upfront payments on new phones, but it is increasing the prices for some models through higher monthly payments.</p><br clear="all"/>T-Mobile matches AT&T Next, offers smartphones for $0 downT-Mobile isn?t about to let AT&T get away with offering lower down payments for new smartphones. The carrier?announced on Friday that for a limited time, it?s giving customers the option to get a new smartphone for $0 down if they agree to make monthly payments ranging from $5 to $27 over the following 24 months. The two priciest phones in the deal are the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy Note II, which both require $27 monthly payments, while the Nokia Lumia 521 is the cheapest model with monthly payments of just $5.?T-Mobile?s?press release follows below. T-Mobile Promotes Unprecedented Deal This Summer ? Zero Dollars Down for All Devices America?s Un-carrier offers the ultimate promotion with the lowest upfront price onhttp://news.yahoo.com/t-mobile-matches-t-next-offers-smartphones-0-161512539.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 12:15:12 -0400t-mobile-matches-t-next-offers-smartphones-0-161512539Leaked Samsung Galaxy Note III specs include 5.7-inch display, LTE-Advanced, Android 4.3Samsung?s upcoming Galaxy Note III is among the most highly anticipated smartphones of 2013. While sales of the third-generation flagship phablet won?t approach handsets like the Galaxy S4 or Apple?s iPhone lineup, Samsung?s Galaxy Note handsets have regularly been among its top-selling high-end devices. We have seen plenty of leaks thus far and while some reports suggest there are still a few wrinkles to be ironed out, South Korea?s Business Daily claims to have gotten its hands on the device?s final specs. According to a new report on Friday, the Galaxy Note III was initially supposed to include a 6-inch display but Samsung reworked the device and opted for a 5.7-inch panel instead. Other highlights include a quad-core Snapdragon 800http://news.yahoo.com/leaked-samsung-galaxy-note-iii-specs-5-7-151535031.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 11:15:35 -0400leaked-samsung-galaxy-note-iii-specs-5-7-151535031Chromecast may just be the beginning of Google?s assault on the living roomA new report suggests that Chromecast may just be phase one of?Google?s plan to take over the living room. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company showcased a prototype of an Android-powered set-top box to select individuals as early as the Consumer Electronics Show this past January. The device, which was reportedly similar to Apple TV, is said to have included a video camera and motion sensors that would allow owners to use Google?s Hangouts service for video conferencing. Other features reportedly included the ability to download Android apps, play games, watch movies and TV shows from the Play store, and stream content from services like YouTube. The device was being shown off by then Android chief Andy Rubinhttp://news.yahoo.com/chromecast-may-just-beginning-google-assault-living-room-133019412.htmlFri, 26 Jul 2013 09:30:19 -0400chromecast-may-just-beginning-google-assault-living-room-133019412Chromecast feature coming to Google TV later this yearApparently?Google TV?isn?t dead, despite?Google?s announcement of the Chromecast streaming device. Google revealed in a post on Thursday that partners will continue to launch Google TV-enabled HDTVs and boxes, adding that it is ?working with partners to bring the latest experience of Android and Chrome to devices later this year.? The company believes that ?there is ample room for both products to exist and succeed.? Warren Rehman, a Google employee working on Google TV, later confirmed that Google is planning to bring the Chromecast wireless streaming feature to Google TV devices later this year.http://news.yahoo.com/chromecast-feature-coming-google-tv-later-020044927.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 22:00:44 -0400chromecast-feature-coming-google-tv-later-020044927HP to target back-to-school crowd with $99 Android tabletFresh off Google?s announcement that it will launch a Textbook section in its Play store, a new report claims?HP is planning a low-cost tablet to target the back-to-school crowd.?According to Digitimes, HP and Walmart will partner to sell a $99 Android tablet in the coming weeks. The device is said to be equipped with a 7-inch display and a single-core Intel Medfield processor. HP will be the first major vendor to release a sub-$100 tablet, which some industry insiders believe could pressure other companies to follow suit. The low-end specs, however, will make HP?s new tablet a harder sell than devices like the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. Google on Wednesday announced that it has partnered?with the five largest textbookhttp://news.yahoo.com/hp-target-back-school-crowd-99-android-tablet-004549826.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 20:45:49 -0400hp-target-back-school-crowd-99-android-tablet-004549826Murder victim had keys to car rented by NFL player<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nfl-players-alleged-murder-victim-had-keys-car-202922322.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/46O8rF17YK8T1Rzv0B5mqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-25T202922Z_1_CBRE96O1KXB00_RTROPTP_2_CSPORTS-US-USA-PATRIOTS-HERNANDEZ.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is arraigned in court in Attleborough, Massachusetts" align="left" title="New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is arraigned in court in Attleborough, Massachusetts" border="0" /></a>By Daniel Lovering ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (Reuters) - The body of a man that former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is accused of murdering last month was found with the keys to a black Chevrolet Suburban that Hernandez had rented, according to court papers released on Thursday. The victim, semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd, was discovered on June 17 in an industrial area not far from Hernandez' North Attleborough home. His cell phone contained messages exchanged with Hernandez the night of Lloyd's death. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/nfl-players-alleged-murder-victim-had-keys-car-202922322.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 17:20:34 -0400nfl-players-alleged-murder-victim-had-keys-car-202922322<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nfl-players-alleged-murder-victim-had-keys-car-202922322.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/46O8rF17YK8T1Rzv0B5mqg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-25T202922Z_1_CBRE96O1KXB00_RTROPTP_2_CSPORTS-US-USA-PATRIOTS-HERNANDEZ.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is arraigned in court in Attleborough, Massachusetts" align="left" title="New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is arraigned in court in Attleborough, Massachusetts" border="0" /></a>By Daniel Lovering ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (Reuters) - The body of a man that former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is accused of murdering last month was found with the keys to a black Chevrolet Suburban that Hernandez had rented, according to court papers released on Thursday. The victim, semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd, was discovered on June 17 in an industrial area not far from Hernandez' North Attleborough home. His cell phone contained messages exchanged with Hernandez the night of Lloyd's death. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Google may upset TV execs with ChromecastGoogle?s new Chromecast device lets iOS and Android smartphone and tablet owners wirelessly stream content to their TVs. It it also compatible with Chrome browsers on Windows and OS X, and Chrome OS devices. The small dongle, which was announced at a press conference on Wednesday, plugs directly into the TV through the HDMI port. At $35, Chromecast is an affordable and convenient way to watch your favorite online content on your TV. But as appealing as Chromecast sounds to many consumers, it may not sit well with some TV executives. Peter Kafka at AllThingsD?believes?that some companies may not like the idea of Chromecast. He explained that companies such as Hulu have kept their services off TV screens for ahttp://news.yahoo.com/google-may-upset-tv-execs-chromecast-210505406.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 17:05:05 -0400google-may-upset-tv-execs-chromecast-210505406iPad seen ?losing ground fast? as shipments sinkHistory may be about to repeat itself in the tablet market. Although Apple?s iPad has long been the gold standard of tablets everywhere, it?s about to come under pressure from a flood of cheaper Android tablets, similar to how the iPhone has come under competitive pressure from Samsung and other Android smartphone manufacturers. CNET points us to a new research note from Citi analyst?Glen Yeung, who claims that the iPad is ?losing ground fast? as the world?s most popular tablet. Yeung projects that Apple?s iPad shipments will post a 7% year-over-year decline next quarter even though demand for tablets has only accelerated over the past year. Yeung?s report echoes a new report from Digitimes that claims iPad sales will onlyhttp://news.yahoo.com/ipad-seen-losing-ground-fast-shipments-sink-184502026.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 14:45:02 -0400ipad-seen-losing-ground-fast-shipments-sink-184502026Who is actually using Android tablets?Google has now activated 70 million Android tablets, but how many of those devices are getting regular use??Benedict Evans, a strategy consultant for Enders Analysis, finds himself puzzled that all those Android tablets aren?t yet making a significant dent in the iPad?s lead in either mobile traffic or mobile ad revenues and wonders just who is buying all these Android tablets. Evans notes that Google?s Nexus tablet series, which is generally seen as delivering the best overall user experience among Android tablets, makes up only a tiny share of the Android tablet market. As such, Evans speculates that there are three possible explanations for the wide gap between Android tablet shipments and Android tablet use: ?These tablets are being boughthttp://news.yahoo.com/actually-using-android-tablets-162510103.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 12:25:10 -0400actually-using-android-tablets-162510103Another round of layoffs sweeps BlackBerryBlackBerry eliminated 5,000 jobs in fiscal 2013, but it looks like the struggling smartphone vendor isn?t done.?Following reports earlier this month suggesting recent departures would precede a new round of layoffs, Reuters is reporting that BlackBerry?has laid off about 250 workers at its Waterloo, Ontario headquarters.??This is part of the next stage of our turnaround plan to increase efficiencies and scale our company,? a BlackBerry spokeswoman told reporters. BlackBerry shares recovered from an earlier dip on Thursday following the news.http://news.yahoo.com/another-round-layoffs-sweeps-blackberry-152556916.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 11:25:56 -0400another-round-layoffs-sweeps-blackberry-152556916Forget the new Nexus 7 ? Moto X is the star of the showGoogle on Wednesday finally took the wraps off of its much rumored next-generation Nexus 7 tablet, which is easily the most impressive small-form tablet in the world on paper. Featuring a?7-inch display with 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution, a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, a 5-megapixel camera and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, many industry watchers see the Nexus 7 as a winner and consensus estimates for 2013 shipments fall between 5 million and 7 million units. But a new research note from plugged-in KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Nexus 7 sales will miss estimates by a potentially wide margin, and the real star of the show where Google devices are concerned is the upcoming Moto X smartphone. ?While thehttp://news.yahoo.com/forget-nexus-7-moto-x-star-show-145026426.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 10:50:26 -0400forget-nexus-7-moto-x-star-show-145026426BlackBerry lays off 250 employees in latest round of cuts<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-lays-off-250-employees-latest-round-cuts-142006427.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oC3TKuybP0dplobrGdKCaQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-25T142006Z_1_CBRE96O13TS00_RTROPTP_2_CBUSINESS-US-BLACKBERRY-CUTS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphone handsets are pictured in this illustration picture taken in Lavigny" align="left" title="Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphone handsets are pictured in this illustration picture taken in Lavigny" border="0" /></a>TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd has laid off about 250 of its employees at its headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, as part of its latest move to trim costs, the smartphone maker said on Thursday. "This is part of the next stage of our turnaround plan to increase efficiencies and scale our company," a BlackBerry spokeswoman said. The company, which last year cut thousands of jobs, recently hinted that more reductions were in the offing. Last month, BlackBerry reported dismal quarterly results, which triggered a 28 percent plunge in its share price. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-lays-off-250-employees-latest-round-cuts-142006427.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 10:20:06 -0400blackberry-lays-off-250-employees-latest-round-cuts-142006427<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-lays-off-250-employees-latest-round-cuts-142006427.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oC3TKuybP0dplobrGdKCaQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-25T142006Z_1_CBRE96O13TS00_RTROPTP_2_CBUSINESS-US-BLACKBERRY-CUTS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphone handsets are pictured in this illustration picture taken in Lavigny" align="left" title="Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphone handsets are pictured in this illustration picture taken in Lavigny" border="0" /></a>TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd has laid off about 250 of its employees at its headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, as part of its latest move to trim costs, the smartphone maker said on Thursday. "This is part of the next stage of our turnaround plan to increase efficiencies and scale our company," a BlackBerry spokeswoman said. The company, which last year cut thousands of jobs, recently hinted that more reductions were in the offing. Last month, BlackBerry reported dismal quarterly results, which triggered a 28 percent plunge in its share price. ...</p><br clear="all"/>South Africa's Investec, Nedbank exposed to troubled building firmJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Investec, Nedbank and Sanlam said on Thursday they had exposure to a failing building supply company First Strut, whose chairman was shot dead in June. Trade in First Strut's 925 million rand worth of bonds was suspended last week following an application to place the firm in liquidation, according to a stock exchange filing. Its chairman, Jeff Wiggill, was found dead with a bullet wound to his head next to a luxury Bentley automobile in the early hours of June 20 in the Soweto township that borders Johannesburg. His wallet and cell phone were missing. ...http://news.yahoo.com/south-africas-investec-nedbank-exposed-troubled-building-firm-141653194.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 10:16:53 -0400south-africas-investec-nedbank-exposed-troubled-building-firm-141653194BlackBerry cuts 250 staff at facility in OntarioBlackBerry has given layoff notices to 250 workers at its product testing facility in Waterloo, Ontario, where the global smartphone company is based. The employees supported the company's manufacturing, ...http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-cuts-250-staff-facility-141154865.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 10:11:54 -0400blackberry-cuts-250-staff-facility-141154865Google, Samsung collaborating on Nexus 10 tablet sequelGoogle?s Nexus 10 tablet wasn?t a hit like last year?s Nexus 7 was, but that?s apparently not stopping the company from making a sequel. Wall Street Journal reporter Amir Efrati wrote?on his Twitter account that Android boss Sundar Pichai says Google and Samsung are teaming up to create a new Nexus 10 tablet that should be released in the near future. While we don?t know what specs the new Nexus 10 will have, it?s likely that it will at least match some of the hardware used in the new Nexus 7 tablet such as a display with a pixel density of more than 300 pixels per inch,?a quad-core?1.5GHz?Snapdragon S4 Pro processor,?Adreno 320 graphics, NFC, wireless charging support and the?newly unveiledhttp://news.yahoo.com/google-samsung-collaborating-nexus-10-tablet-sequel-124517032.htmlThu, 25 Jul 2013 08:45:17 -0400google-samsung-collaborating-nexus-10-tablet-sequel-124517032Google, FTC officially settle Motorola patent spatGoogle hasn?t had much to show for its acquisition of Motorola and the Federal Trade Commission is making sure it stays that way. The FTC announced on Wednesday that it had reached a settlement with Google over the company?s alleged misuse of Motorola?s standard-essential patents whereby Google will agree to license the patents ?on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory or FRAND terms.? Google and the agency had originally agreed to a settlement of the Motorola patent case late last year but the FTC says it?s made some revisions to the original terms, ?including those pertaining to the arbitration process established to resolve disputes over FRAND terms,? after hearing public comments. Google, of course,?primarily acquired Motorola for the value of its patenthttp://news.yahoo.com/google-ftc-officially-settle-motorola-patent-spat-222551558.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 18:25:51 -0400google-ftc-officially-settle-motorola-patent-spat-222551558Exec responsible for the PlayBook quits BlackBerryThe mass exodus of?BlackBerry executives continues. According to The Wall Street Journal, David J. Smith, the executive who led the team that created the failed PlayBook tablet, has left the company. A BlackBerry spokesperson confirmed the report, noting that he ?resigned for personal reasons.? Despite releasing two new smartphones running its new BlackBerry 10 operating system, BlackBerry has continued to struggle in the mobile market and recently lost 4 million subscribers. The company recently fired its U.S. sales chief, and a number of other high-level executives have left BlackBerry in recent weeks. The PlayBook failed to compete against the iPad and Android tablets when it was released in 2011, leading BlackBerry to write off nearly $500 million in unsold inventory.http://news.yahoo.com/exec-responsible-playbook-quits-blackberry-204043212.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 16:40:43 -0400exec-responsible-playbook-quits-blackberry-204043212Symantec spots first two apps that exploit biggest-ever Android security holeLess than a month after researchers at Bluebox?Security uncovered the biggest Android security hole to date, Symantec has spotted two malicious apps that are taking advantage of this major crack in Android?s foundation.?Essentially, the vulnerability found by Bluebox theoretically allows hackers to change mobile applications? codes without breaking the cryptographic signature that?s needed to verify an app?s legitimacy. In other words, the vulnerability could give hackers free rein to transform any app into malware. To make matters worse, Bluebox says that this problem has existed since at least Android 1.6, which means that the vast?majority of Android devices are vulnerable to malware-producing hackers. Symantec says so far that?s it?s found two mobile apps in China whose code has been rewrittenhttp://news.yahoo.com/symantec-spots-first-two-apps-exploit-biggest-ever-201530814.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 16:15:30 -0400symantec-spots-first-two-apps-exploit-biggest-ever-201530814Despite Surface debacle, Microsoft is far from ?doomed?We now know that Microsoft?s Surface RT tablet will go down as one of the biggest consumer electronics bombs of the past year, perhaps second only to the Facebook-centric HTC First smartphone. But does this mean Microsoft is doomed to irrelevancy? Of course not. As Forbes contributor Tom Bradley writes, Microsoft still has a lot going for it, not the least of which is that it still has the most widely used desktop operating system, the most widely used desktop web browser and the most widely used productivity software in the world.? Although Microsoft?s continued dominance in the desktop realm may not get as much attention as its struggles in the mobile realm, it?s still a real cash cow forhttp://news.yahoo.com/despite-surface-debacle-microsoft-far-doomed-194014219.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 15:40:14 -0400despite-surface-debacle-microsoft-far-doomed-194014219Google unveils new Nexus 7, Internet TV device<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/google-unveils-nexus-7-internet-tv-device-193703168.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ej2ZUsMyJYJrUmKwK8MYVA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/e2f04736c2018118380f6a70670047e2.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Google's new Chromecast device is shown by Mario Queiroz, vice president for product management, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)" align="left" title="Google's new Chromecast device is shown by Mario Queiroz, vice president for product management, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)" border="0" /></a>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Google is betting consumers will pay slightly more for a sleeker, more powerful version of its Nexus 7 tablet as the Internet company escalates its rivalry with Apple and Amazon.com in technology's key battleground ? the mobile computing market.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/google-unveils-nexus-7-internet-tv-device-193703168.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 15:37:03 -0400google-unveils-nexus-7-internet-tv-device-193703168<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/google-unveils-nexus-7-internet-tv-device-193703168.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ej2ZUsMyJYJrUmKwK8MYVA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/e2f04736c2018118380f6a70670047e2.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Google's new Chromecast device is shown by Mario Queiroz, vice president for product management, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)" align="left" title="Google's new Chromecast device is shown by Mario Queiroz, vice president for product management, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)" border="0" /></a>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Google is betting consumers will pay slightly more for a sleeker, more powerful version of its Nexus 7 tablet as the Internet company escalates its rivalry with Apple and Amazon.com in technology's key battleground ? the mobile computing market.</p><br clear="all"/>Nokia may have found a great new nicheAll Western brands are struggling to get traction in what is shaping up to be an epic battle against the Asian Android vendors that have started churning out relatively highly specced new models at rock bottom prices. Vendors like Apple, HTC?and Nokia put in dreadful spring performances in China, where their current models? price ranges simply aren?t working. Soon we?ll find out what the pricing of Apple?s budget iPhone will be and whether it stands a chance to make serious inroads in China. But Nokia just announced a model that might have a chance to do some damage in Asia. The Lumia?625 effectively copies the product concept that has worked like a charm for Huawei, Micromax, Karbonn and their ilkhttp://news.yahoo.com/nokia-may-found-great-niche-190513792.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 15:05:13 -0400nokia-may-found-great-niche-190513792Google gets deeper into hardware with new tablet, TV gadget<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/google-unveils-nexus-7-tablet-expand-hardware-role-164840165.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/VfmwJ6372MMcdCiNlBIyQA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-24T164840Z_1_CBRE96N1APC00_RTROPTP_2_GOOGLE-NEXUS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Hugo Barra, director of Product Management at Android, holds the new Nexus 7 tablet during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" align="left" title="Hugo Barra, director of Product Management at Android, holds the new Nexus 7 tablet during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" border="0" /></a>By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc on Wednesday showcased a new-generation, slimmer Nexus 7 tablet that the Internet search company hopes will expand its presence in consumer hardware, and ensure that its online services remain front-and-center on mobile devices. The latest Nexus 7, featuring a Qualcomm Inc Snapdragon processor and a higher display resolution, on July 30 will be priced at $229 for a basic version with 16 gigabytes of storage. The original year-old tablet started at $199 for an 8 gigabyte version. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/google-unveils-nexus-7-tablet-expand-hardware-role-164840165.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 14:54:50 -0400google-unveils-nexus-7-tablet-expand-hardware-role-164840165<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/google-unveils-nexus-7-tablet-expand-hardware-role-164840165.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/VfmwJ6372MMcdCiNlBIyQA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-24T164840Z_1_CBRE96N1APC00_RTROPTP_2_GOOGLE-NEXUS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Hugo Barra, director of Product Management at Android, holds the new Nexus 7 tablet during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" align="left" title="Hugo Barra, director of Product Management at Android, holds the new Nexus 7 tablet during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" border="0" /></a>By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc on Wednesday showcased a new-generation, slimmer Nexus 7 tablet that the Internet search company hopes will expand its presence in consumer hardware, and ensure that its online services remain front-and-center on mobile devices. The latest Nexus 7, featuring a Qualcomm Inc Snapdragon processor and a higher display resolution, on July 30 will be priced at $229 for a basic version with 16 gigabytes of storage. The original year-old tablet started at $199 for an 8 gigabyte version. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Motorola Solutions cuts sales forecast second time in three monthsBy Neha Alawadhi (Reuters) - Motorola Solutions Inc, known for its walkie-talkies, cut its 2013 sales forecast for the second time in three months and said business customers continued to delay purchases. Shares of the company, which depends on government spending for most of its revenue, fell as much as 10 percent on the New York Stock Exchange in heavy trading on Wednesday. Motorola Inc spun off its cellphone arm into Motorola Mobility in January 2011 and renamed itself Motorola Solutions. Motorola Mobility was later sold to Google Inc. ...http://news.yahoo.com/communications-gear-maker-motorola-solutions-cuts-forecast-again-112503779.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 13:54:48 -0400communications-gear-maker-motorola-solutions-cuts-forecast-again-112503779BlackBerry A10 leaks again, this time in high-definition videoBlackBerry desperately needs to launch new budget BlackBerry 10 phones to compete in emerging markets. But according to an exclusive BGR report from earlier this month, the only remaining BlackBerry 10 smartphone launch left on the vendor?s roadmap this year is the high-end BlackBerry A10. BGR was the first to post a photo of the upcoming flagship BlackBerry A10 and now the device has leaked in a high-definition video posted by Vietnamese gadget blog Tinhte.vn. Alongside the video, the site published specs that include a?1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960?processor, a 5-inch AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 2,800 mAh battery. The full video follows below along with severalhttp://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-a10-leaks-again-time-high-definition-video-172041288.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 13:20:41 -0400blackberry-a10-leaks-again-time-high-definition-video-172041288Google brings Android content to your TV with Chromecast<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/google-brings-android-content-tv-chromecast-165527318.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/SX3kL83.CZIEW_h30BZIww--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-24T172226Z_214722514_GM1E97P03IP01_RTRMADP_3_GOOGLE-NEXUS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management, holds the new Google Chromecast dongle as it is announced during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" align="left" title="Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management, holds the new Google Chromecast dongle as it is announced during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" border="0" /></a>At its press event in San Francisco on Wednesday, Google announced a new device to help bring content from Android, iOS and Chrome devices to TV screens. Chromecast runs a simplified version of Chrome OS and connects directly to a TV through the HDMI port. The device allows users to wirelessly send 1080p content from services like Pandora, Google Music, YouTube and Netflix from their iOS, Android or Chrome devices to their TV screens. Unlike Apple?s Airplay feature, Chromecast doesn?t mirror the device, allowing users to put their device to sleep without interrupting the stream. Android, iOS and Chrome devices can also be used as a remote controls to turn the TV on, raise the volume and add more videos</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/google-brings-android-content-tv-chromecast-165527318.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 12:55:27 -0400google-brings-android-content-tv-chromecast-165527318<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/google-brings-android-content-tv-chromecast-165527318.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/SX3kL83.CZIEW_h30BZIww--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-07-24T172226Z_214722514_GM1E97P03IP01_RTRMADP_3_GOOGLE-NEXUS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management, holds the new Google Chromecast dongle as it is announced during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" align="left" title="Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management, holds the new Google Chromecast dongle as it is announced during a Google event at Dogpatch Studio in San Francisco" border="0" /></a>At its press event in San Francisco on Wednesday, Google announced a new device to help bring content from Android, iOS and Chrome devices to TV screens. Chromecast runs a simplified version of Chrome OS and connects directly to a TV through the HDMI port. The device allows users to wirelessly send 1080p content from services like Pandora, Google Music, YouTube and Netflix from their iOS, Android or Chrome devices to their TV screens. Unlike Apple?s Airplay feature, Chromecast doesn?t mirror the device, allowing users to put their device to sleep without interrupting the stream. Android, iOS and Chrome devices can also be used as a remote controls to turn the TV on, raise the volume and add more videos</p><br clear="all"/>New, Cheaper Smartphone PlansHowever much you pay every month for your cell phone service, it?s probably too much; between $80-100 a month if you own a smartphone. But good news: Facing stiff competition from budget carriers, all of the major networks recently began offering cheaper ?prepaid? plans ? which could save you a ton of money. Prepaid Plans [...]http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/cheaper-smartphone-plans-164310719.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 12:43:10 -0400blogs/upgrade-your-life/cheaper-smartphone-plans-164310719Here comes Android 4.3: Google?s newest OS adds big boost to graphicsAs expected, Google announced the newest version of its Android mobile operating system on Wednesday and it looks like a big focus of the latest upgrade is improving smartphones? and tablets? graphics capabilities. Android 4.3 JellyBean, which Google announced during its ?breakfast? press conference Wednesday morning, is shipping on the company?s newest Nexus 7 tablet. The new OS is adding support for low-power Bluetooth devices such as health sensors that can display data on your smartphone or tablet. Android 4.3 will also feature support for OpenGL ES 3.0, a graphics API that will vastly improve Android tablets? graphics capabilities and should be a major boon for Android game developers. Finally, Android 4.3 has a new feature that lets you segmenthttp://news.yahoo.com/comes-android-4-3-google-newest-os-adds-162037767.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 12:20:37 -0400comes-android-4-3-google-newest-os-adds-162037767Google unveils its next-gen Nexus 7 tabletTry to act surprised: Google on Wednesday took the wraps off of its brand new next-generation Nexus 7 tablet. After a string of leaks and rumors that culminated with Best Buy prematurely putting up preorder pages, Google has finally made its second-generation Nexus 7 tablet official. In line with earlier reports, the new Asus-built slate features a 7-inch display with 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution,?a quad-core?1.5GHz?Snapdragon S4 Pro processor,?Adreno 320 graphics, a 5-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, optional 4G LTE, HDMI output, NFC, wireless charging support and the newly unveiled Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system. Google said that the new Nexus 7 tablet is 2 millimeters thinner than the first version. It?s also a bithttp://news.yahoo.com/google-unveils-next-gen-nexus-7-tablet-161525323.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 12:15:25 -0400google-unveils-next-gen-nexus-7-tablet-161525323Here?s live streaming video from Google?s Nexus 7 and Android 4.3 unveilingGoogle is hosting a press conference on Wednesday to share the latest and greatest Android has to offer, and the event is being streamed live. There is little mystery as far as what?s in store ? the next-generation?Nexus 7 and Android 4.3 have leaked extensively over the past few weeks ? but Android boss Sundar Pichai could certainly still have a few surprises in store. Want to see the action unfold live? The live video stream from Google?s Android event is embedded below and the show is scheduled to start at noon EDT.http://news.yahoo.com/live-streaming-video-google-nexus-7-android-4-155542351.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 11:55:42 -0400live-streaming-video-google-nexus-7-android-4-155542351Killing BBM: Rival messaging apps are on a rampage right nowBlackBerry Messenger is likely going to become available for Android and iOS by the end of September. While the world waits, download rates among cross-platform messaging apps that compete with it have gone on an epic binge. LINE has now hit 200 million?downloads, adding the second 100 million over just the past six months. WeChat has topped?300 million?downloads. Even the relatively parochial KakaoTalk hit the 100 million download milestone in July. Many of these apps are on a huge user growth binge in BlackBerry?s core markets right now. LINE was?the top-grossing app in Indonesia on Wednesday. WhatsApp is the No.10 free download in Indonesia. KakaoTalk is No.14. WeChat is No.30. Indonesia is a crucial market for BlackBerry ? over 18%http://news.yahoo.com/killing-bbm-rival-messaging-apps-rampage-now-154012839.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 11:40:12 -0400killing-bbm-rival-messaging-apps-rampage-now-154012839Killing BBM: Rival messaging apps on a rampage right nowBlackBerry Messenger is likely going to become available for Android and iOS by the end of September. While the world waits, download rates among cross-platform messaging apps that compete with it have gone on an epic binge. LINE has now hit 200 million?downloads, adding the second 100 million over just the past six months. WeChat has topped?300 million?downloads. Even the relatively parochial KakaoTalk hit the 100 million download milestone in July. Many of these apps are on a huge user growth binge in BlackBerry?s core markets right now. LINE was?the top-grossing app in Indonesia on Wednesday. WhatsApp is the No.10 free download in Indonesia. KakaoTalk is No.14. WeChat is No.30. Indonesia is a crucial market for BlackBerry ? over 18%http://news.yahoo.com/killing-bbm-rival-messaging-apps-rampage-now-154012627.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 11:40:12 -0400killing-bbm-rival-messaging-apps-rampage-now-154012627Here comes Android 4.3: Google?s newest OS gives battery life a big boostAs expected, Google announced the newest version of its Android mobile operating system on Wednesday and it looks like a big focus of the latest upgrade is improving smartphones? and tablets? battery life. Android 4.3 JellyBean, which Google announced during its ?breakfast? press conference Wednesday morning, is shipping on the company?s newest Nexus 7 tablet. The new OS is adding support for low-power Bluetooth devices such as healthy sensors that can display data on your smartphone or tablet. Developing?http://news.yahoo.com/comes-android-4-3-google-newest-os-gives-143537178.htmlWed, 24 Jul 2013 10:35:37 -0400comes-android-4-3-google-newest-os-gives-143537178
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