Personal communications

There are endless options for battery backup devices for your smartphone. There are battery cases, battery packs, solar chargers, and hand-crank devices. But they all have a common enemy: bulk. You have to find the space in your pocket or purse to keep them with you. This is where the Fuel phone charger comes in. It's as easy to carry as your car keys.

Fuel is shaped like a little red gas canister. Inside the aluminum housing is a 220 milliAmp hour battery. It's just over an inch high and half an inch thick, leading its creator Devotec Industries to claim it as the world's smallest cell phone charger. Fuel isn't going to fully recharge your battery, but it will give you an extra 20 to 30 minutes of talk time when you need it most.… Read more

In addition to unveiling its contract-free data plan, T-Mobile announced a number of devices that will be available on its 4G LTE network, including the Sonic 2.0 mobile hotspot.

Available now for $149.99, the Sonic 2.0 is the carrier's first LTE hot spot and it can connect up to eight devices.

The device is manufactured by ZTE and features a 1.77-inch color screen (which displays information such as signal strength, battery level, and number of connected devices), a microSD card slot that is expandable up to 32GB, and it works with both Windows 8 and … Read more

T-Mobile USA is taking a bold step forward with a new contractless plan for smartphone subscribers.

The company posted the new changes to its plans, which made their first appearance last January at CES, on its Web site on Sunday. The new contractless plans may attract customers looking for a value. But figuring out the ins and outs of the new plans is a bit confusing. To help readers better understand what it all means, and whether they can actually save some cash with these new plans, CNET has put together this FAQ.

What changes did T-Mobile make to its … Read more

Twitter today invited developers to a platform-focused event at its headquarters early next week, where it plans to show off new features.

The event -- which begins at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday and is scheduled to run until 9 p.m. -- is not open to the press, the company said.

The company offered no other details as to what will be in store, though noted that it would focus on "mobile oriented" things.

"We've been working on some exciting new features for the Twitter Platform, and we'd like to share those with … Read more

T-Mobile continues to rev up the changes it's got in store for customers.

The wireless carrier today seems to have finally done away entirely with contracts for wireless customers. This follows earlier moves that had allowed options including either a traditional two-year contract or no contract at all.

The shift is part of a broader transformation that CEO John Legere hinted at during his Consumer Electronics Show press conference in January, changes that are intended to make the carrier more competitive in the industry. As a distant fourth-place carrier among the national players, the company has been willing to … Read more

If you followed AT&T's unsuccessful play for T-Mobile that ultimately imploded in late 2011, then you'll remember that Sprint wasn't a fan of the proposed merger.

No, the nation's third-largest carrier opposed the transaction almost immediately and vigorously trashed it whenever it had the chance. And today, fifteen months after AT&T formally abandoned its $39 billion bid, Sprint brought up the issue again in a short statement regarding the upcoming resignation of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski.

"From his decision to block AT&T's proposed takeover of T-Mobile … Read more

Now that Samsung has said it's working on a high-tech watch, one that presumably will pack smartphone features, 2013 could shape up as the year of smartwatch wars, with longtime foes Apple and Samsung leading the battle.

The motivation, Wall Street analysts argue, is that the biggies need another act as growth of smartphones sales are already slowing. Could smartwatches become that act? It might sound like a long shot; many people already are abandoning watches and relying on their phones instead. And in an age of ever-expanding phone screens, a device for the wrist comes with obvious limitations. … Read more

T-Mobile announced in December that it would eliminate subsidies on cell phones this year, hinting that it would also switch up its mobile plans and go no-contract. Now, it's expected that the carrier will debut its new plans at an event scheduled for March 26.

However, TMoNews seems to have gotten its hands on at least some of the pricing information a week in advance.

According to a TMoNews, T-Mobile will be offering two types of plans: the "Uncarrier classic," which will be offered by national retailers like Target and Best Buy, and "Value" plans … Read more

Sony's high-tech timepiece offering, the Sony SmartWatch, isn't exactly known for smooth performance. The company's new software update, however, promises to offer a slicker interface and six new watch faces, and to address any lingering stability issues. … Read more