What IT needs to know about near-field communications

The rise of near-field communications (NFC) has been part of the discussion in the mobile industry for years. Unfortunately, the technology hasn't generated much more than discussion to this point. So far, all who have predicted the ubiquity of the point-to-point communications technology have been wrong. Executives at major tech companies - Apple and eBay, for example - have scoffed at the idea of NFC as an everyday...

Read more »

Apple makes good on CEO's promise to expand iPhone 5's 4G carriers

iOS 6.1 patches more than two-dozen security vulnerabilities and adds three-dozen LTE carriers to the supported list for the iPhone 5. Apple today released iOS 6.1, the first major update for the mobile operating system since its September 2012 launch, patching 27 security vulnerabilities and adding three dozen LTE carriers to the iPhone 5's support list. At the top of Apple's list of improvements was an expansion of the LTE...

Read more »

'Make me Asian' app yanked from Google Play amidst racism concerns

An app called "Make me Asian" that added details like narrowed eyes and conical hats to screenshots of users has been pulled from the Google Play store after inciting widespread public outrage, including a Change.org petition that was signed by more than 8,400 supporters. MORE MOBILE: Hottest Android news and rumors for week ending Jan. 18 "Make me Asian," along with the similarly offensive "Make me Indian," which featured...

Read more »

The 4G ad wars: Evaluating AT&T and Verizon Wireless

Wireless carriers are battling in print, TV and Web commercials that focus on having the biggest 4G network or the most 4G coverage. All these commercials create a phony issue that doesn't relate to the actual reasons for choosing 4G service or choosing a given carrier to provide it. We looked at two TV ads, from AT&T and Verizon Wireless, posted on their YouTube accounts. Who really has the most 4G wireless coverage? Performance...

Read more »