Computerworld Matt Hamblen News

FAQ: WOA vs. x86, which Windows tablet to pick?

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:09:00 GMT

Which Windows tablet makes sense -- the upcoming ARM-based devices that might include Office apps for free or x86-based Windows 8 tablets? Matt Hamblen walks you through some of the pros and cons.

Windows 8 on ARM, dubbed WOA, to include Office apps for tablets

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:11:00 GMT

Windows 8 on ARM, dubbed WOA by Microsoft, could offer a big 'Whoa!' moment for workers wanting to run Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and other Office apps on a touchscreen tablet.

LTE boosts mobile gear by 17% in 2012

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:48:00 GMT

Thanks to 4G LTE technology, the global market for mobile communications gear will grow 17% in 2012, according to IHS, formerly iSuppli.

Phoenix Suns deploy Galaxy Tab 10.1 for use on and off the court

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:40:00 GMT

The Phoenix Suns have deployed more than 100 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets over Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network for use by the team's business personnel, players and managers in the current basketball season.

The Super Bowl by the wireless and network numbers

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:05:00 GMT

AT&T and carrier equipment provider Sandvine released some interesting wireless and Internet usage figures from Sunday's Super Bowl victory for the New York Giants over the New England Patriots.

Apps-related jobs tallied at 466K in U.S.

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:14:00 GMT

Nearly half a million jobs in the U.S. have been created because of the 1 million-plus applications designed for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, according to a new study.

Want your beer and wings faster? Order on the iPad, please

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:05:00 GMT

IPads are popping up in the military, at auto dealerships and at wineries and are now being tested out at customer tables by the Buffalo Wild Wings grill and bar chain

Voice and video calls via Wi-Fi from 30,000 feet?

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:20:00 GMT

Federal regulations forbid making calls from cellphones while aboard U.S. commercial planes in-flight, but Wi-Fi services could eventually support voice and video calls over the Internet.

Wi-Fi in flight has yet to soar

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Launched four years ago, the use of Wi-Fi on U.S. commercial aircraft has yet to catch on, with estimates that the wireless technology is still used by only 7% of the flying public.

Smartphone shipments outpaced PCs in 2011 for first time

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:45:00 GMT

Smartphone shipments overtook personal computers -- including tablets, laptops, netbooks and desktops -- for the first time in 2011, according to Canalys.

Presidential candidates' mobile websites ripped for poor performance

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:01:00 GMT

Despite pronouncements that they are pro-technology, all of the U.S. presidential candidates have made fairly feeble attempts at building mobile campaign websites.

Spending on chips for mobile devices outpaced computers in '11

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Spending on microchips used in smartphones, tablets and related wireless devices surpassed spending on chips for computers in 2011, according to IHS, formerly iSuppli.

London calling with BlackBerry 10 smartphone

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:49:00 GMT

Research in Motion's incipient BlackBerry 10 smartphone, code-named London, has a thin and long design, according a photo obtained by CrackBerry.com.

Galaxy Note and S Pen: Can a tweener smartphone-tablet succeed?

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:42:00 GMT

The 5.3-in. Samsung Galaxy Note is called a smartphone, but its touchscreen and integrated S Pen stylus for drawing and taking notes elevates it into a somewhat harder to define category.

RIM says 'Be Bold' cartoon is not a new BlackBerry ad campaign

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:13:00 GMT

Research In Motion said its 'Be Bold' cartoon superheroes unveiled in a recent blog infographic were 'intended to be a bit of fun' and are not a new ad campaign.

RIM criticized for 'Be Bold' superhero blog and graphic

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:11:00 GMT

Research in Motion's tumultuous year seems to keep getting worse, as ridicule springs up over a company blog post and graphic featuring so-called "Be Bold" superheroes -- an apparent attempt to boost the appeal of its RIM Bold smartphones to the youth market.

Samsung's Galaxy Note to hit AT&T stores Feb. 19 for $300

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:43:00 GMT

The Galaxy Note smartphone with tablet features and a stylus hits AT&T stores Feb. 19 for $299.99 and a two-year agreement, the carrier announced Monday.

Kindle Fire sales stronger than analysts expected

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:37:00 GMT

Amazon will announce fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday on the heels of what analysts called stronger-than-expected fourth quarter Kindle Fire tablet sales.

AT&T to launch communication services

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:10:00 GMT

AT&T on Thursday will launch new cloud-based unified communications services that give businesses the ability to integrate chat, email, VoIP calls, audio and videoconferencing and more over desktops and many mobile devices

Droid Razr Maxx goes on sale Thursday for $300 with contract

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:17:00 GMT

The Droid Razr Maxx from Motorola goes on sale Thursday for $299.99 with a two-year agreement, Verizon Wireless announced Tuesday.

New RIM CEO must first execute strategy, analysts say

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:45:00 GMT

A lot is riding on Thorsten Heins, who's been charged with resuscitating stumbling Research in Motion as its new CEO.

Tablet and e-reader ownership doubles over holidays, Pew says

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:25:00 GMT

Tablet and e-reader ownership nearly doubled in the U.S. over the recent holiday period, according to the Pew Research Center.

E-book library borrowing hits record pace

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:02:00 GMT

Holiday sales of new tablets and e-readers have catapulted e-book borrowing at many of the nation's libraries, raising the question of how libraries can keep up with demand -- especially when some publishers still balk at e-book lending.

AT&T set to launch new data plans

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:49:00 GMT

AT&T today unveiled data plans for new smartphone and tablet customers that will take effect on Sunday.

Windows Phone to bump iPhone for second place in '15, IHS predicts

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:09:00 GMT

Windows Phone could represent nearly 17% of the smartphones shipped in 2015, edging out Apple's iPhone for the second-place ranking behind Android smartphones.

Verizon to add LTE to five more cities

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:31:00 GMT

Verizon Wireless on Thursday will add five more cities to its rapidly expanding 4G LTE network, including Brownsville and McAllen, Texas.

Motorola confirms Wi-Fi Android upgrade for Xoom

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:31:00 GMT

Motorola Mobility has confirmed the Android Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade to the Xoom Wi-Fi tablet will arrive over-the-air via Wi-Fi to U.S.-based owners on Wednesday.

Hands on: Sony Xperia Ion smartphone

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:07:00 GMT

Sony showed off its new Xperia Ion smartphone in the middle of its massive booth at CES, drawing attention to its multimedia features and sleek styling.

New Ford Focus Electric comes with smartphone app

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:45:00 GMT

Ford's first all-electric passenger vehicle, the Focus Electric, features a smartphone app that can help drivers keep track of when the car is being charged remotely.

Insecure Android a myth, Motorola exec says

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:18:00 GMT

It's a myth that Android isn't secure and is difficult for IT managers to control, contended a top Motorola Mobile executive in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Forget quad-core tablets; here's a quad-core smartphone

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:22:00 GMT

While some tablet makers are talking up the benefits of quad-core processors in their devices, Fujitsu has put a quad-core chip in a smartphone -- at least for a prototype version on display at CES.

Nvidia shows quad-core tablet prototype running Windows 8

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:25:00 GMT

Nvidia showed tablets using its Tegra 3 quad-core processors at CES, including a developer prototype that was running Windows 8.

Hands-on at CES: Droid Razr Maxx sports big battery

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:41:00 GMT

The new Droid Razr Maxx unveiled by Motorola during CES has a stunningly large battery that's nearly twice as powerful as others on the market.

Are there too many smartphones on the market?

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:08:00 GMT

The question of whether there are too many smartphone variations on the market came up during a panel discussion Thursday at CES.

LTE explodes at CES

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:34:00 GMT

LTE has exploded at this week's Consumer Electronics Show, where the three top U.S. wireless carriers and dozens of other vendors are showing off how they plan to use the high-speed technology with new smartphones, tablets and even ATM's.

Silver gloves said to ease cold-weather touchscreen use

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:54:00 GMT

The problem of using smartphone and tablet touchscreens has led to the creation specialized gloves that ease the task and can conduct a person's bioelectricity.

Do mobile devices really need multi-core chips?

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Multi-core processors for tablets and smartphones are being touted by chip maker Nvidia and others at the CES trade show, but some in the industry question their value.

Golden-i headset computer to run over Verizon's 4G LTE

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:34:00 GMT

Kopin engineers demonstrated at CES a headset computer called the Golden-i for use in public safety and other field workforce applications.

Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:55:00 GMT

The Samsung Galaxy Note, with the world's largest smartphone screen at 5.3-in, doesn't really feel all that big at all.

AT&T pushes ahead after T-Mobile bid

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

AT&T dropped its $39 billion bid to buy T-Mobile USA in December, but the company demonstrated that it is still running on all cylinders with announcements at CES of new smartphones, a tablet and new tools for mobile app developers.

Nokia unveils Lumia 900 smartphone at CES

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:25:00 GMT

Nokia on Monday unveiled the Lumia 900, its first 4G LTE smartphone, which will run over the AT&T network.

AT&T to sell Android tablet, 5 smartphones on 4G LTE

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:42:00 GMT

AT&T said it will unveil five Android smartphones and one tablet, the Pantech Element, on its 4G LTE network sometime early in the year.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 coming to Verizon

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:41:00 GMT

Samsung and Verizon Wireless announced the Galaxy Tab 7.7 at CES to run on the carrier's 4G LTE network.

HTC Titan II coming to AT&T 4G LTE

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:15:00 GMT

HTC announced the Titan II smartphone at CES on Monday, making it the first Windows Phone on AT&T's fast 4G LTE network.

Mobile tactics could be key to 2012 election

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The explosive growth in smartphone usage and the growing adoption of tablets means that a mobile communication strategy -- or the lack of one -- could make or break a candidate in this year's presidential election. (Insider, registration required.)

AT&T adds 11 cities to 4G LTE network

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:14:00 GMT

AT&T announced Thursday it has rolled out 4G LTE services to 11 more markets, including New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Acer Iconia A200 tablet ships Jan. 15 for $330

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:01:00 GMT

Acer America today unveiled the Iconia Tab A200, an Android-based tablet that will go on sale Jan. 15 in the U.S. starting at $329.99.

Live TV coming to Metro PCS smartphones later in 2012

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:42:00 GMT

Metro PCS Communications customers in 14 cities will be able to watch live, local broadcast TV on their mobile phones later this year.

Atom chip on Android smartphones expected at CES

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:02:00 GMT

LG Electronics and Samsung are expected to unveil Android smartphones next week at CES that use Intel's latest Atom chip, dubbed Medfield, analysts said.

Mobile campaigns to be hot in 2012 presidential race

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Social networks played an important role in the last U.S. presidential election, but the explosive growth in smartphone usage and the introduction of tablets since 2008 could make or break the candidates for president in 2012.