Last week, it was widely reported that Eva Restaurant, a small eatery in Los Angeles, is offering customers a 5% discount for handing their cell phones in before eating. But Gold isn't the first restaurateur to tackle the issue of distracting cell phone use.
Far too many customers aren't paying their phone bills on time, if you ask the phone companies. Three of the top four submitters to third-party collection agencies are major telephone carriers. And the reasons why should come as no surprise.
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.
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.
Shopkick's smartphone app combines location-based features with shopping. The hot startup's plan: When you walk into any partnering retailer, the app will alert you to deals at that store, and reward you with "Kickbucks" just for being there.
Saudi Arabia has ordered its mobile operators to stop providing services for Research In Motion's BlackBerry smartphones by Friday. The news comes days after the United Arab Emirates said it would halt BlackBerry data services in October.
Best Buy posted disappointing first-quarter results this morning, falling well short of analysts' expectations. Cautious customers lifted the retailer's overall U.S. sales by 5%, but lower sales of TVs, video games and movies cut into its profit margins.
