Mobile

Everything you need to know about the Facebook IPO (FAQ)

If you're not already talking about the Facebook IPO, you soon will be.

The social networking behemoth is set to go public in one of the largest initial public offerings in history on Friday. The event marks the rare intersection of Wall Street financial geeks, Silicon Valley techies, and everyone in between that uses the networking service. Given Facebook's ubiquitous nature, expect everyone and their uncle to have an opinion on it.

Haven't caught up on the latest news and speculation on Facebook? That's what we're here for. The following is a guide walking you more

HTC Desire C surfaces: Low-end but with ICS

CTIA 2012 may be just a memory but that hasn't stopped the smartphone news. Apparently an entry-level handset called the HTC Desire C popped up in a Vodafone Portugal catalog.

Siri changes her mind on which smartphone is the best ever

It was just last week that Apple's virtual personal assistant Siri was telling the world that the Nokia Lumia 900 was the best smartphone ever. But it appears now that she has been scolded back into the Apple fold.

When iPhone 4S owners now ask Siri which smartphone is the best ever, she replies with a sarcastic, "you're kidding, right?" A reader who tipped CNET to the change said Siri will also reply with "the one you're holding" when asked the question. A CNET staffer on the West Coast also got "the one you're holding" as more

How money matters when luring developers to RIM, Windows Phone

Apple's iOS and Google's Android are where all the users are, but Windows Phone and BlackBerry may be where the money's at.

It isn't enough to have extensive outreach programs, or even to give out free test devices anymore. With Android and iOS far and away dominant in the market, companies outside of the iOS-Android duopoly need to go the extra mile to lure in developers.

So, of course, it comes down to financial incentives. Microsoft has long paid high-profile developers to port their apps over. Last week, Research in Motion guaranteed developers that they would make $10,000 in their first year, more

Help! I'm confused about storage on my smartphone

One of the things that many Google Android users like about their devices over the iPhone is the fact that most Android devices allow you to add additional storage capacity. The iPhone doesn't.

But figuring out how and where to store apps, music, photos, video and games isn't as easy as it sounds. In this Ask Maggie I explain how it works.

How much storage can I add?

Dear Maggie,
I see in many of the phone reviews on CNET that you can expand your smartphone's memory up to 32GB or up to 64GB using a microSD more

Who the heck is Plum anyway?

NEW ORLEANS--Decked out with big signs, a large lighted panel, and a red halo banner hanging up top, the 3,500 square foot booth from Plum caught the eyes of many CTIA attendees this year.

Then again, that's the point--because most people in the U.S. have hardly heard of this telecommunications company, even though it's based in Miami, Fla.

Popular in Latin American countries including Columbia, Ecuador, and Guatemala, Plum achieved success from selling dual-SIM phones. By attending CTIA this year (its first trade show in the U.S.), it's looking to duplicate that success and expand into this market.

Intel to investors: Now we're serious about smartphones

Intel has a message for investors and the rest of the tech industry: We're dead serious about smartphone chips now. (Finally, wags might add.)

At its annual investor day on Thursday, Intel reiterated that its first dual-core smartphone processor, the "Medfield" Z2580, is coming later this year and will be offered with Intel-branded 4G LTE silicon.

And to drive home its commitment to phones, CEO Paul Otellini said that phone chip development will move ahead at "twice the rate of Moore's Law." Put another way, chip development that would ordinarily take six years will be carried out in more

Verizon's moms to company: How 'bout a contract Mother's Day?

Mother's Day exists not merely to make some people large profits, but also to raise sincere emotions.

Perhaps this is what inspired some working moms at Verizon Communications to appear in a video, which serves as a response to Verizon's current Mother's Day TV ad.

You might have been assailed by this TV ad. It's the one in which a mother and daughter spend the whole time weeping because they are both desperate for Droid Razrs or merely a desperate child-raiser and her daughter.

The point of the ad is to talk about what moms really more

Ericsson could turn you into a human USB connection next year

NEW ORLEANS--When Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg used his Consumer Electronics Show keynote to demonstrate the company's Connected Me concept, which turns the human body into a bridge between gadgets, he was met with lackluster applause.

Part of the problem was the audience didn't fully grasp what Vestberg was trying to show. He was on stage holding a smartphone in one hand and the sensor for an audio system in the other. The data signal shot through his body, playing an MP3 from the phone on the speaker system. In effect, he became a replacement for a USB cord more

Verizon refuses to give up customer info in pirate hunt

Verizon has its customers' backs.

The Internet service provider is refusing to give up the personal information of customers that book publisher John Wiley & Sons allege are online pirates -- despite the threat of subpoena. Verizon has instead called into question whether the information would lead to any relevant findings and expressed concerns about the violation of privacy, according to TorrentFreak.

Verizon's unwillingness to give up the information is significant because its challenge could signal a potential hurdle for content companies looking to prosecute individuals using Bittorrent to illegally download books, movies, and music.

A key argument is whether more