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NEWS ABOUT: mobile phones

Bye-Bye Landlines, Hello New Problem

(Newser) - Americans are gleefully dropping landlines at a rate of 700,000 per month without any regard for the long-term consequences, the Economist says. Few of us will weep for businesses that rely on landlines—telemarketers and pollsters come to mind—but emergency services like fire and police also need them.... More »

Woman Gets PhD in Texting

Philosophy thesis is first on text message communication

(Newser) - A British graduate student has earned a PhD in texting—an academic first, Discover magazine reports. Caroline Tagg’s doctorate, more specifically, is in the philosophy of texting communication. Tagg studied 11,000 texts from 235 people over four years. Among the findings: The average text is 17.5 words,... More »

Twitter Is Just a Fad

Social networking site has no long-term viability: Friedman

(Newser) - Jon Friedman doesn’t really like Twitter, he writes for MarketWatch. He thinks the 140-character cap keeps Tweets superficial—which is why Ashton Kutcher loves it. It proved useful for Iranian protesters, but for those of us in relatively stable countries, Friedman agrees with blogger Jon Taplin: "Twitter has... More »

Barcode of Future Is Tiny, Shiny

MIT researchers design an alternative with 'Bokodes'

(Newser) - MIT researchers have designed a possible replacement for the conventional barcode, the BBC reports. Called Bokodes, the tags are made up of a powered light-emitting diode, a mask and a lens, and can store much more information than the black-and-white stripe variety. More, the scientists say, the Bokodes can be... More »

Gadget Turns Phone Into Microscope

CellScope could help curb outbreaks of disease in developing world

(Newser) - A new gadget could mean big improvements for health care in the developing world. Called the CellScope, the device attaches to any cell phone with a camera, turning it into a microscope, Science Blogs reports. Invented by researchers at UC Berkeley, the CellScope also features an LED that can detect... More »

You Don't Need a Smartphone

iPhones et al might have more than you need; here are some cheaper alternatives

(Newser) - Smartphones may be the future, but you may not need one just now, writes Marguerite Reardon of CNET. The iPhone and its pricey brethren probably have more features than the average user needs. Here are some cheaper feature phones that might meet your needs. Prices are for a 2-year contract:... More »

UK Phone Firm Seeks 160-Word Resumes

Text messages force 'sassy' applicants to get to the point

(Newser) - A British firm is asking job candidates to apply for its marketing job by text message, BBC reports. With a 160-character word limit, mobile phone services company Teimlo hopes to separate those who “just want any job” from applicants who are “sassy” and “good with words,”... More »

Too Many Phone Numbers? Google Can Help

Promising new free service handles access to all your devices

(Newser) - One phone number for home, two more for work, another for your mobile—Google Voice aims to change that. The new free service, which gives you one internet-based number that dials all your phones, "will take years to reach its full potential," but it looks promising, Hiawatha Bray... More »

iPhone Competitors Close In on Apple

(Newser) - Until recently, the iPhone ruled the smartphone roost, but a new crop of competitors could threaten Apple’s bottom line, Jon Fortt writes for Fortune. AT&T, the sole iPhone carrier, pays Apple $300 for every new customer. Until now, paying for the privilege made sense, because AT&T monopolized... More »

Meh on Actual iPhone, Bullish on App Store

(Newser) - The iPhone itself isn’t in a class by itself as far as smartphones are concerned, Farhad Manjoo writes for Slate—but the App Store makes it unbeatable. Apple boasts more than 50,000 applications, and the rate is increasing; Google’s Android operating system only supports 5,000. “... More »

Palm's Launch of 'Pre' Thumbs Nose at Apple

(Newser) - Sprint will launch the much-ballyhooed Palm Pre smartphone June 6, two days before the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Though this year’s WWDC isn’t expected to produce any new hardware, John Biggs writes for TechCrunch, the scheduling of the Pre launch is connected … probably. Though unlikely, Biggs... More »

Explore Galaxy With New Google App

Star Droid helps cellphone astronomers with GPS, maps, tags

(Newser) - Budding astronomers will soon have a new cell-phone tool that spots the stars they’re looking for, the Telegraph reports. Google’s Star Droid helps stargazers navigate the night sky using GPS technology that cross-references the user’s position with existing space maps, and adds identifying tags to the heavenly... More »

Sex Query? Experts Help Teens Via Texting

Health professionals text teens answers to anonymous sex questions

(Newser) - Teenagers no longer need to reveal their angst over pregnancy or noisy sex in crowded classrooms, the New York Times reports. Public health officials, fretting over the state of sex ed in US schools, are now answering questions via text message. Some use multiple choice menus and automated responses, but... More »

Hackers Bidding 5 Figures for Old Phone Raises Eyebrows

(Newser) - Phonemaker Nokia is flummoxed as to why hackers are offering more than $32,000 in underground forums for old handsets, NetworkWorld reports—though bank fraud is a distinct possibility. “We have not identified any phone software problem that would allow” misuse, the company said. But a 2003 model manufactured... More »

Sexting 'Craze' May Really Be Skewed Polling

'Internet cowboys and cowgirls' twist results of online surveys

(Newser) - One in five teenagers have shared naughty pictures of themselves over the phone or online—at least according to reports of the “sexting epidemic” that’s been causing hysteria lately. But the figure might be bogus, the Wall Street Journal reports, because it’s based on a voluntary online... More »

Skype Could Hit iPhone as Soon as Next Week

Voice-over-IP firm may announce its client at CTIA Wireless

(Newser) - Skype is putting the finishing touches on a version of its VoIP client for the iPhone, and may debut it as soon as an industry conference next week, GigaOm reports. Skype is looking to the mobile market to keep growing as its PC usage starts to plateau. Skype already offers... More »

Free Market Rings Up 4B Cell Phones Worldwide

6 in 10 connected, thanks to private biz

(Newser) - The global explosion in cell phone use is a timely reminder of what free markets can achieve, David A. Gross writes in the Christian Science Monitor. There are now more than 4 billion mobile connections worldwide, two-thirds of them in developing countries, according to a new UN report. This leap... More »

Big-Mouth Amtrak Rider Announces Firm's Layoffs

(Newser) - A venerable New York law firm is scrambling to do damage control after passengers on an Acela train heard about planned layoffs before the associates targeted for downsizing, Above the Law reports. A Pillsbury Winthrop honcho "was talking so loudly that I think most people in the car were... More »

Sexting Is Naive—But Cops Calling It Child Porn Is Stupid

(Newser) - The recent—or recently discovered—“sexting” epidemic has produced a reasoned response from educators, and a wild overreaction from police,” Dahlia Lithwick writes on Slate. “Schools are enacting what amounts to a don't-ask-don't-tell policy” on teenagers sending out naked pictures of themselves, and others, she writes. But... More »

Microsoft Muscles Into Cell Market With New OS

Firm will offer Windows Mobile on 50 smartphones

(Newser) - Microsoft is pushing deeper into the cellphone market with a deal to put a new operating system on 50 LG smartphones, the New York Times reports. The company unveiled a more user-friendly OS—"We were dinged for not having a friendly consumer interface," an exec says—and... More »

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