AT&T said Tuesday that it has reached a deal to buy Alltel's U.S. wireless operations for about $780 million to boost its spectrum in rural areas. It will acquire licenses, retail stores, network assets and about 585,000 subscribers from Atlantic Tele-Network.
Why did banks give this little girl credit cards, home mortgages, and car and boat loans? And how did she keep getting them after defaulting time and time again? The answers should be a warning for every parent in America.
Right now, Verizon is winning the war to grab cell customers from AT&T and Sprint-Nextel. But is its wireless network right for you? Even though they've all ratcheted up speeds, there are material differences between them. Here are tips on picking the right one for your habits.
Hundreds of thousands of borrowers who are behind on their federal student loans could soon receive some unwanted -- and expensive -- attention. A provision in President Obama's deficit reduction plan would allow debt collectors to chase down delinquent borrowers on their cell phones.
Communication is increasingly moving off the grid and into the cloud. For cellphone users -- especially ones with smartphones -- there are a host of online tools and apps that can help reduce usage on carrier plans and save money. Here are a half dozen easy options.
In an attempt to reverse the market-share free fall it has been experiencing, Motorola Mobility has recently been trying to ramp up the pace of its product launches. But its rush to get hot new devices on the market has hit a couple of speed bumps with delays on the Droid Bionic and the Xoom LTE.
Research In Motion's plans to make its BlackBerry Messenger service available as an app on Androids and iPhones will get its signature software in front of a wider audience. But will RIM's initiative win new customers, or cannibalize its already failing smartphone market share?
The news that the U.S.'s No. 2 wireless carrier, AT&T, is buying No. 4 carrier T-Mobile has squelched hopes that T-Mobile would join forces with Sprint. What else does this deal mean for the No. 3 carrier?
Gartner has lowered its laptop-sales forecast for this year and the next, predicting that the popularity of tablets and smartphones will slow laptop sales. Gartner expects worldwide laptop sales to increase 11% this year and and 14% next year, down from a previously forecast 16$ and 15%, respectively.
Buying a new cell phone next year? Odds are it'll be a smartphone, according to a new report from research firm In-Stat. The company predicts that smartphones will overtake regular cell phones, making up more than half of U.S. cell-phone shipments, in 2012.
Kodak has accused Apple and Research in Motion of infringing on one of its digital-imaging patents with the iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. But the International Trade Commission in Washington has ruled against Kodak in a preliminary decision.
Verizon customers will likely flock to the Apple iPhone 4 when the largest U.S. carrier starts selling it in February. But many industry-watchers expect an iPhone 5 a few months later. And that could create a quandary for folks on the fence about their next smartphone move.
Just a day after Motorola split in two, its mobility division has unveiled the much-anticipated Xoom, the first tablet to run on a tablet-specific version of Android version called Honeycomb. Could this tablet be the one to give the Apple iPad a run for its money?
In a move to help it target tablet computers, cell-phone-chip designer Qualcomm has reportedly offered $3.5 billion to buy Atheros Communications, which has developed chips that connect wireless computers to the Internet.
Now broken up, the new Motorolas have distinct corporate personalities: the riskier but higher-growth potential Motorola Mobility, which includes Droid smartphones, and the duller but steadier Motorola Solutions, which makes things like bar-code scanners.
Google is considering a plan to expand its Android newsstand -- and heat rivalry with Apple's iTunes -- by charging publishers a lower price to sell news to Android users than the 30% fee that Apple typically charges to sell apps on iTunes. Will that be enough to attract more news?
In a complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission, Sony has accused rival LG Electronics of infringing on seven of its patents, including one for photo-based caller ID technology.
Skype is launching a new version of its free app for the Apple iPhone that includes video calls. With the new app, scheduled to appear in the iTunes store Thursday, iPhone users will be able to video chat over not just WiFi, but also the AT&T 3G cellular network.
Apple has raised its target for first-quarter shipments of its iPhone by as much as 10%, anonymous component suppliers told DigiTimes. The news signals strong holiday sales for the phone and bodes well for the company's upcoming quarterly earnings.
Verizon Communications will unveil a 4G Android smartphone and a tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, InformationWeek predicts. Could the new products help Verizon gain market share against the Apple iPhone and iPad?
Here's one reason why U.S. teens and young adults are luckier than their international counterparts: Unlike in many other countries, most American youths don't have to pay their own cell-phone bills.
Research in Motion's fiscal third-quarter profit rose 45%, beating analysts' expectations as BlackBerry smartphone shipments jumped. Is the BlackBerry outselling the iPhone?
In a breakup that's been in the works for the last two years, Motorola says it will officially split into two companies -- Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions -- on Jan. 4.
Cox Communications is taking on wireless companies on its own turf by launching a long-anticipated cellular service in three scattered markets where it already provides cable. But can it compete with all the other wireless companies out there?
Verizon Wireless is sending out notices to existing customers in select markets, informing them they're eligible for a discounted plan that will give them unlimited text, mobile-to-mobile calls, data and 450 minutes of talk time for $69.99 a month -- but not everyone is eligible.
After months of rumors, Verizon Wireless could be getting a version of the Apple iPhone 4 by early next year, according to The New York Times.
