mobile

Samsung to open R&D facility on Nokia's turf, report says

Samsung, which has been fighting an often-forgotten war in the feature phone space against Nokia, has fired a shot over the bow of the Finland-based company.

According to a report on Androidbeat, which includes an invitation claiming to come from Samsung for an event it's holding in Finland, the Galaxy S maker is planning to open a research and development facility in Espoo, Finland, on June 13. And here's the kicker: Espoo is also home to Nokia's headquarters.

The letter Androidbeat reportedly received is signed by Yong-Suk Moon, president of the Samsung R&D Institute UK. … Read more

Redditor says Galaxy S3 caught fire, burned his finger

A Reddit poster going by the handle Vizionx1208 says his Galaxy S3 suddenly caught fire recently and burned his finger.

In a post to Reddit on Sunday, the person said that he plugged his Galaxy S3 in to be charged and about an hour later "was awoken by a loud noise and a weird squeaking sound." That he, says, is when all kinds of trouble broke loose.

"So, I woke up, and saw a ton of smoke coming out of my phone -- it also smelled REALLY bad," he wrote. "Half asleep, I jumped out … Read more

Ending the headaches of Wi-Fi

Soon wireless subscribers won't even have to think about signing on to a Wi-Fi hot spot. New standards that will be included in the latest generation of products will take the headache out of Wi-Fi.

Millions of wireless customers access public Wi-Fi hot spots every day. Some people get free access to Wi-Fi through their mobile operator and use the networks to avoid going over their data caps. Others subscribe to Wi-Fi services to get access to higher-speed data wherever it's available. Whether you use free Wi-Fi or you subscribe to a service, getting on to whatever Wi-Fi … Read more

Apple's iOS 7 overhaul said taking a black-and-white tack

Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design and the new design chief for iOS, has one idea in mind for the mobile operating system: out with the old and in with the new.

According to 9to5Mac, which cited unidentified sources who claim to have knowledge of the major changes intended for the upcoming iOS 7, Ive's new design ideas boil down to "black, white, and flat all over." What that means, the sources told 9to5Mac, is that Ive has decided to drop the textures, the shiny icons, and the lifelike design features in favor … Read more

HTC One 'Google Edition' in the works -- report

HTC is planning to take a page out of Samsung's book by launching a "Google Edition" of its One smartphone.

That's the word, at least, from unidentified sources for Geek.com, who claim that HTC is planning to launch its flagship handset, the One, with a stock version of Android 4.2.2. The current model available to customers is running an HTC-modified version of the software.

By launching a Google Edition, HTC would be following the lead of the company it's chasing in the mobile space, Samsung. At the Google I/O conference earlier … Read more

Twitter attempts to beef up security

CNET Update is in the 'hood:

In this episode of Update:

- Learn how to make your Twitter account more secure from hackers. (But if won't be this simple for brand accounts that are used by more than one employee.)

- Get ready for J-Lo to shake up the mobile scene with her mobile company Viva Movil, which has partnered with Verizon.

- Lose the paper clutter and save your receipts digitally with the updated Google Drive app on Android.

- Find a neighbor to lend you sugar with the new Nextdoor app for iPhone.

CNET Update delivers the … Read more

Square follows PayPal to Japan for mobile payments

Mobile-payment-processing company Square has brought its operation to Japan.

The company announced the news on Thursday, saying that it will charge merchants 3.25 percent per swipe. As with its service in the U.S., all funds will be automatically deposited into the merchant's bank account on the next business day.

In order to bring Square to Japan, the company teamed up with Sumitomo Mitsui Card Corporation, a credit card processing firm in Japan. The terms of that partnership were not announced.

Square's entry into Japan comes about a year after PayPal brought its own offering, PayPal Here, … Read more

HTC One reaches about 5 million units sold since launch

HTC's flagship smartphone, the One, has inched towards 5 million units sold since its launch about a month ago, an unidentified HTC executive has told the Wall Street Journal.

Speaking to the Journal on Wednesday, the unidentified executive said that "orders are pretty good so far and are still more than what we can supply." He blamed the shortage on issues with component availability, and nothing his own company is doing.

HTC has been in a world of trouble over the last couple of years as demand for its devices has fallen. Although 5 million units sold … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Discover leaps to Cricket (hands-on)

LAS VEGAS -- Although already available through other carriers like Net10 and Straight Talk, the Samsung Galaxy Discover will be available on Cricket Wireless starting this summer.

The news was made official during a press conference today during CTIA. The carrier also announced that it will release the Samsung Admire 2 in the summer, as well as the Galaxy S4 on June 7.

Though Cricket did not release final pricing, the Galaxy Discover currently retails for about $100.

Design Compact and sturdy at 4.4 ounces, the 3.5-inch Galaxy Discover is a small entry-level device that measures 4.59 … Read more

Cricket announces Samsung Admire 2 for summer (hands-on)

LAS VEGAS--Cricket Wireless has big plans for this year. In addition to announcing that it will be offering the Galaxy S4 in June, and its new "Half is More" ad campaign, the prepaid carrier also reported that it will sell the Samsung Admire 2.

Though no specific availability date and pricing information was given, the Admire 2 is scheduled to come out this summer. Its predecessor, which was originally offered on MetroPCS, launched with an initial price point of $129.

Design During the press conference, Cricket did not release any specs. But what I could gather from handling … Read more