Mobile and Wireless

Wireless Internet Topic Center

What you need to know about the wireless Internet: news, reviews, in-depth analysis and more

T-Mobile debuts four data pricing tiers

T-Mobile USA will debut 4 'No Annual Contract' data service plans on Sunday, while Verizon plans to kill unlimited data plans as users shift to 4G
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LightSquared's bankruptcy is a cautionary tale

After more than a year of active testing and debate over LightSquared's plan for a nationwide, wholesale 4G network, the now bankrupt company may end up as no more than a cautionary tale for mobile investors.

Voyager postpones mobile service launch, citing Web attack

Voyager Mobile, a startup promising cheap, unlimited mobile service around the U.S., has postponed the launch it planned for Tuesday, saying a malicious attack took down its website.

Verizon LTE expansion continues with 28 more cities

Verizon Wireless will add 28 more cities to its nationwide LTE network on Thursday, bringing the total number of markets with access to its faster 4G service to 258.

SAP offers mobile device management on Amazon's cloud

SAP's Afaria mobile device management tool is now available on Amazon Web Services' cloud, offered as a way to make it easier to start using the platform, SAP said at the Sapphire conference on Monday.

New coalition opposes Verizon and cable spectrum deals

A proposed sale of mobile spectrum from a group of cable providers to Verizon Wireless, along with accompanying marketing and research agreements, will lead to higher prices for broadband and mobile customers, a coalition of groups opposing the deal said Monday.

LightSquared declares bankruptcy after GPS worries sank its mobile dream

LightSquared, the startup that planned a nationwide wholesale mobile network only to be shot down by regulators because of GPS interference concerns, is declaring bankruptcy.

SAP rolls out new mobile apps, boosts HTML5, iOS, Android support

SAP on Monday unveiled a series of mobile applications covering areas such as expense management and e-learning, as well as improved support for iOS and Android devices. The announcements came at the start of the vendor's Sapphire conference in Orlando.

Report: LightSquared preparing for bankruptcy filing

Negotiations between LightSquared and its lenders remained "far apart" over the weekend, leaving the beleaguered would-be data carrier likely to file for bankruptcy protection Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing anonymous sources involved in the negotiations.

AT&T reportedly in talks to buy Leap Wireless

AT&T has recently been in talks to buy Leap Wireless, a carrier operating in 35 states with 6 million customers, according to Reuters.

BYOD: New animal, new taming techniques

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Backgammon NJ and FaceMe Backgammon for iPhone and iPad

Backgammon is a board game that is perfectly suited to iOS devices. The shape of the board fits the iPhone and iPad, and the gameplay--rolling dice and moving pieces--is greatly simplified when you tap to perform these tasks. Over the past few months, I've tried out a number of backgammon apps, and two stand out: Backgammon NJ (available for the iPad in a separate version called Backgammon NJ HD), and FaceMe Backgammon.

6 Ways to Use Multiple Displays With Your Laptop

Dual monitors improve productivity, but it can be hard to get laptops to use multiple displays. It's not impossible, though. Check out these six tips for connecting laptops to external monitors.

Adventure Bar Story for iPhone

Adventure Bar Story from RideonJapan looks like a classic JRPG, but with a crucial difference. You're not an adventurer who happens to take part in a cooking/crafting mini-game--you're a chef who goes on adventures to support her restaurant business. Wandering the wilderness and killing monsters yields ingredients to toss in the oven once you get back home. Characters don't gain levels through combat, but through eating the food you prepare. Your first nemesis is not an evil sorcerer, but a rival restauranteur.

Kinectimals for iPhone and iPad

As a kid, I really wanted a cat. My parents, however, were firmly opposed. Would that I had been able to seek refuge in something like Microsoft's Kinectimals for iOS, which provides plenty of the benefits of pet ownership without the need for the manifold downsides--like cleaning out a litter box.

Madcoaster for iPhone and iPad

The thrill of riding a roller coaster comes from when the feeling of danger you get from every gravity-defying loop-to-loop. In Chillingo's lovably-addictive platformer, Madcoaster, that danger is very reala| if PG rated.

Kaiser Permanente's CIO Aims to Make Healthcare More Delightful

Kaiser Permanente CIO Philip Fasano discusses how the electronic records 'bet' has paid off and how social and mobile technologies will advance the effort. He also offers advice on making big tech projects successful, how to encourage innovation, what it means for CIOs to be the 'CEO' of their organizations and why healthcare provider should be in the business of delighting customers and patients.

Monster Wars for iPhone and iPad

When being a do-gooder grows boring, why not switch teams? That's the route Liv Games takes with Monster Wars, an evil-themed sequel to the developer's popular tower defense game Legendary Wars.

Technology defies the law of diminishing returns

One day while observing a lady next to me on her iPad, I noticed how this person was literally condensing an exercise that would normally require a happy shopper all day to complete within a period of 30 minutes at most. This person had within a blur of swipes and prods completed the purchase of at least eight items of clothing and accessories all from different well-known brands and all delivered to the doorstep within the week.

Skylanders Cloud Patrol for iPhone and iPad

The top item on my son's Christmas list last December was Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure for the Nintendo Wii. For the uninitiated, Skylanders uses plastic toys that activate characters in the video game. The game and toys are very much aimed at kids and are very popular--according to a recent report, Activision has made about $200 million from the Skylanders franchise, which launched in October 2011. And yes, my wallet has made a significant contribution to that sales figure.