Vertu, the British firm that manufactures luxury smartphones costing up to $52,000, is closing down. The news comes just four months after the company was purchased by businessman Murat Hakan Uzan, who was unable to save it from bankruptcy. Vertu has been struggling for some time as the world’s wealthiest ditch luxury handsets coated in diamonds, gold, and alligator skin in favor of...
Samsung's very own Tizen platform is yet to mount a significant threat against rivals like Android and iOS, and it's probably a good job more of us aren't using it. According to one security researcher, the operating system is a hacker's dream, with 40 unknown vulnerabilities that could allow anyone to break into Samsung Smart TVs, smartwatches, and more. Samsung has been developing...
Samsung is planning to ditch its popular Galaxy Note series and focus on launching just one flagship family every year, according to a new report. The South Korean company is making the change to ensure product quality and prevent another explosive debacle. Fans had been wondering whether Samsung’s decision to cease Galaxy Note 7 production would mean the end of the Note series as we...
If you have a modern smartphone, you may not need a dedicated wearable for fitness tracking. A new study has found that mobile apps can be just as accurate as smartbands when it comes to tracking physical activity. Led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, the study tested 10 of...
Disclaimer: Larry is an old friend (literally, he’s old), and it’s always fascinated me how petrified he is of technology. We all have a Larry in our lives, no? Relatives, neighbors, friends. Someone who refuses to, or is incapable of, learning the joys of today’s most groundbreaking superphones. We all follow the industry and know the ins and outs, and relish the newest advancements....
I just spent a week on vacation trying to disconnect for a few days. As someone who writes about tech, that can be pretty tough when there's a constant flow of leaks. I often found myself heading to my room to catch up on the industry news on my tablet or laptop while the rest of my family hit the beach or caught up on some reading on the porch. I noticed a few Moto X stories last week...
India is a massive smartphone market, as revealed in the latest figures by research firm Strategy Analytics. The company said that there were 3.8 million smartphone shipments in India during the first quarter of 2012, versus 10 million units that were shipped during the first quarter of this year. By comparison, there were 150 million global smartphone shipments during Q1 2012 and 203.9...
Less than 10 years ago, most mobile users couldn't even conceive of the computing power they'd eventually have in their hands. Imagine — the primary use for cell phones was actually talking back then. And now that our mobiles are more advanced than many desktop computers of that era, what are we doing with them? Well, says Experian Marketing Services' Simmons Connect mobile and digital...
Replacing a smartphone can be an expensive proposition. Many in the U.S. cost $200 subsidized, and $600 to $800 (or more) at full price. But the data on that handset? Well, that can be priceless — especially when you're talking about irreplaceable images of lost loved ones. A Craigslist post in Fredricksburg, VA, tells the tragic tale of a widow whose white Samsung Galaxy S3 was stolen...
Jeans and smartphones are not a dynamic duo, not by a long shot. Who hasn't had the yucky experience of excavating a smartphone out of a pair of bootcut or skinny jeans, or feeling the device poking you in the butt when you sit down? You could give up on denim and go with cargo pants 24/7 — for all the roomy, low-hung pockets your legs can handle — but there's an alternative: The First...