Mobile

Apple confirmed today that it will open its Grand Central store Friday morning.

The store will have a unique look, integrating Apple's typically modern polish with the classic look of Grand Central station. It will occupy the east and northeast balconies of the terminal, overlooking the main concourse.

The store will almost certainly be considered Apple's flagship location in Manhattan, which already has four other eye-catching stores on Fifth Avenue, the Upper West Side, SoHo, and the Meatpacking District. The Grand Central store, however, is the only one with a guaranteed flow of consumer traffic as countless commuters … Read more

Verizon Communications considered buying Hulu when the streaming-video site was shopping itself around to potential acquirers earlier this year.

Hulu was just one of the online video options Verizon looked at, CEO Lowell McAdam said at a UBS investor conference today in New York.

"We continue to look at alternatives," he said during a one-on-one discussion onstage, which was Webcast.

Verizon was among many potential suitors looking at Hulu when it was seeking a buyer this summer. Hulu ultimately did not find a partner.

That Verizon looked at Hulu, which streams television shows and movies, underscores the growing … Read more

German patent licensing firm IPCom is sending cease-and-desist letters to retailers and wholesalers of HTC's 3G devices, even though it does not have a specific court order allowing it to do so.

The company began sending the letters to around 100 German retailers, including mobile operators and major chains such as the Media-Saturn group, last night. HTC promised it would fight back, saying the patent cited in the letter was likely to be revoked soon anyway.

"It is regrettable that IPCom has demonstrated that it is prepared to go to any lengths, including contacting our customers, to advance … Read more

Move over, Kindle Fire. Google's Ice Cream Sandwich operating system has landed on a $100 tablet now shipping in China. The 7-inch tablet is also bound for the U.S. market.

U.S.-based MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor, a China-based mobile chip provider, announced worldwide availability of the "world's first tablet" based on Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich.

"I'm thrilled to see the entrance of MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how … Read more

After losing an early round in its trademark dispute with a small New Mexico software provider over use of BBX, Research In Motion has opted for new name for its new operating system.

U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson in Albuquerque granted a temporary restraining order today requested by Basis International that bars RIM from using the BBX mark at the DevCon conference in Singapore this week. In granting the request, the court concluded that "the BBX mark is identical to the mark which RIM is allegedly using to present its BBX product."

RIM representatives could not … Read more

Verizon Communications has fired 40 employees involved in this summer's bitter labor strike for behavior the company said ranged from physical violence to making racial threats.

The company informed the employees by mail over the weekend of their terminations for violating the company's code of conduct while picketing a new contract, according to a Boston Globe report. More than 45,000 Verizon workers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states walked off the job to protest contract reduction offered by the company.

"We respect the rights of our employees to peacefully picket and protest during a strike. However, … Read more

Let’s face it. At the moment, there are only two major online app stores to speak of: Google’s Android Market and Apple iTunes. Sure, Amazon has an app store as does Barnes & Noble, among others, but these are still primarily feeders for the Android brand as a whole.

Based on the latest figures out of the Android Market, it would almost seem that Google doesn’t need much help. The Android Market has reached 10 billion downloads and counting as of this past weekend.

We can likely expect download numbers to increase even more rapidly as the … Read more

Verizon Communications is ready to get into the online video business.

The telecommunications provider plans to launch an online streaming video service that would take on Netflix, Hulu, and the traditional cable providers, Reuters reported today.

Such a service would mark a break from the company's past adherence to the pay TV model. As of the third quarter, Verizon delivers cable TV, along with Internet and phone service, to 4 million customers under its Fios offering. The new online offering would be rolled out to markets where Fios is unavailable, and will likely use its wireless arm's national … Read more

Verizon Wireless denied claims that it was blocking the Google Wallet mobile payment application on the upcoming Galaxy Nexus.

"Recent reports that Verizon is blocking Google Wallet on our devices are false," the company said in a statement today. "Verizon does not block applications."

Google Wallet, unlike other applications, needs to be integrated into a secure part of the phone that is proprietary to Verizon, the carrier said. As a result, Verizon and Google are still in commercial talks over the issue.

The issue is a rare instance in which Verizon and Google haven't been … Read more