BlackBerry Users Get an App Store

Next generation could feature 4-inch screen: 9to5Mac

(NEWSER) - A fresh new rumor declares an iPhone 5 launch this summer with a screen enlarged to at least 4 inches (compared to 3.5 inches on the iPhone 4S). Prototypes of the iPhone 5 are apparently "floating around," claims the Apple-centric blog 9to5Mac , which is getting its info from a "reliable source at Foxconn in China." More»

Balsillie, Lazaridis insist it had nothing to do with investor pressure

(NEWSER) - A big shuffle at Research in Motion last night, as Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis—who have served together as co-CEOs for two decades—stepped down, turning over the top position at the struggling company to former chief operating officer Thorsten Heins. Balsillie and Lazaridis also gave up their co-chairmanship, and the board named current board member Barbara Stymiest the new chair. Company co-founder Lazaridis will serve as vice chair, and Balsillie will remain a board member; the two remain directors and significant shareholders, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Find tickets, new flights, even lounges

(NEWSER) - Every air traveler armed with a smartphone should load up on these five apps, says the Travel section of USA Today:

• SkyScanner (Free): This app will hunt down the best price for your ticket. It scans not only all of the airlines' websites but all of the online travel agencies (Expedia, Priceline) as well.
• Next Flight ($2.99): Yeah, it's relatively pricey, but worth the cost when needed. If your flight is canceled or delayed, or you just plain miss it, the app provides a list of all available flights from all carriers over the next two days. If none are there, it searches for hotels and car rentals.
• Priority Pass (Free): This app supplies a list of all the lounges at your airport. You can look through photos and amenities before deciding whether to shell out money for a pass.

Why automaker's move to unplug employees makes sense

(NEWSER) - Three cheers for Volkswagen! The German automaker has decided to turn off the email server for its employees' BlackBerries every day before and after work, and Roger Cohen of the New York Times thinks it’s a visionary move. Constantly being plugged into work has real costs, and while employees should be able to switch off on their own, BlackBerries are actually addictive. “Nobody expects addicts to self-administer the right medicine without help,” he writes. More»

Carmaker's new policy will affect German employees' BlackBerries

(NEWSER) - Some workers in Germany will no longer have to worry about getting an email from the boss during dinner. Volkswagen has agreed to loosen the digital shackles by shutting down email service on their employees' BlackBerries during non-work hours, kissing the typical 24-hour accessibility goodbye. Europe's largest car manufacturer set the new—and very rare—policy as part of an agreement with labor reps, reports Reuters . More»