Electronic point-of-sale mobile payments at retail locations aren’t quite ready for prime time — but they’re getting closer. The latest heavy hitter to enter the fray is Visa, the ubiquitous financial services company, who has announced plans for a digital wallet based on Near Field Communication, or NFC, technology. […] Read the original post by…
Verizon Hints at Possible Family Plan for Mobile Data
A Verizon executive says it’s all but inevitable that the company will eventually offer data plans that family members can share among multiple devices. Read the original post by John C Abell
Report: Google, Sprint Join Mobile-Payments Arms Race
Google will announce a new mobile payments system on Thursday, according to Bloomberg, adding greater urgency to the all-out arms-race taking place in the point-of-sale digital money space. The announcement will include news of a partnership with Sprint to roll out a mobile-payments system based on Near Field Communication, or […] Read the original post…
iCloud: Is 4th Time a Charm for Apple’s Media Service?
Apple has revealed the name of its upcoming online media service: iCloud. But don’t let the cute branding fool you. The company has tried this service before, and the iCloud re-branding signals a do-over on one of Apple’s greatest failures. Read the original post by Brian X. Chen
Sprint, AT&T Trade Fire Over T-Mobile Deal as FCC Deadline Passes
It’s no secret the Sprint, the nation’s third-largest mobile service provider, opposes AT&T’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile. Earlier this month Sprint’s CEO testified before Congress that the deal could do “irreparable harm” to consumers. Now, Sprint has formally registered its objections with the Federal Communications Commission, which is […] Read the original post…
Emerging Epicenters of High-Tech Industry
High-tech job growth isn’t confined to the coasts: From Waco, Texas, to Bloomington, Indiana, pockets of ingenuity are everywhere. Read the original post by Adam Davidson
Review: SwitchEasy Nude for iPod touch 5G
Nude has been around for several generations of iPod touch, but the most recent is SwitchEasy’s best take on it yet—and one of the best basic plastic shells we’ve seen. Coming in five colors matching the anodized aluminum back of the iPod plus white, clear, and translucent black, Nude is […] Read the original post…
Review: Bowers & Wilkins A7 Speaker with AirPlay
Today, we’re looking at four recent wireless releases: Brookstone’s Big Blue Media Tower ($400) and Ecoxgear’s Ecoxbt ($130) are on the Bluetooth side, with AQ Audio’s AQ SmartSpeaker ($179) and Bowers & Wilkins’ A7 ($800) representing AirPlay. Collectively, these speakers are noteworthy because they demonstrate today’s wide variation in wireless […] Read the original post…
News: JayBird debuts BlueBuds X Bluetooth earphones
JayBird has announced BlueBuds X ($170), a new pair of sport Bluetooth earphones. BlueBuds X are secure-fit, micro-sized earphones, offering eight hours of battery playtime. Listeners benefit from in-ear white noise reduction and Shift, a “custom implementation of the native Bluetooth SBC codec,” a feature that JayBird claims will enable […] Read the original post…
News: Apple announces Chinese iPhone 5, new iPad releases
Confirming speculation, Apple has officially announced that the iPhone 5 will be released on Dec. 14 in China, after recently receiving network access approval in China. Notably, no carrier details were announced in the press release, which mentions that sales in China will be restricted to online orders, pre-reserved units […] Read the original post…
Review: Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5
Rokshield shares design elements with cases such as Rokbed, but executes on them in much smarter ways. It comes in three pieces: two slide together plastic components lined with soft fabric and a rubber bumper that snaps in place over them. The back of the case has a number of […] Read the original post…
News: iTunes gift cards: Variable prices, Starbucks, iTunes 11
Apple is introducing new denomination-free iTunes retail gift cards that allow customers to purchase iTunes credit ranging from $15 to $500, 9to5Mac reports. Unlike past iTunes gift cards that were pre-printed with $15, $25, $50, or $100 denominations, the new cards rely on the store’s cashier to put the desired […] Read the original post…
Review: Brookstone Big Blue Media Tower
Today, we’re looking at four recent wireless releases: Brookstone’s Big Blue Media Tower ($400) and Ecoxgear’s Ecoxbt ($130) are on the Bluetooth side, with AQ Audio’s AQ SmartSpeaker ($179) and Bowers & Wilkins’ A7 ($800) representing AirPlay. Collectively, these speakers are noteworthy because they demonstrate today’s wide variation in wireless […] Read the original post…
Review: PureGear PX260 + PX360 Extreme Protection System for iPhone 5
The cases are both made of matte-finished plastic, the back half of which is lined with a thin, soft foam. Once your iPhone has been sandwiched between the two pieces, screws at each of the corners and right in the middle of the long sides are tightened, locking your device […] Read the original post…
Review: Lethal Protection Life-Phorm
Our review unit of Life-Phorm arrived covered in white dust from its styrofoam packaging, although that quickly fell off. It felt totally sturdy out of the box—although it’s surely an over-engineered accessory, it’s solid. A screw on the back of the back of the center component can be loosened by […] Read the original post…