Articles by Alexandra Burlacu
Samsung Overtakes Nokia to Become World's No.1 Mobile Phone Maker
After a 14-year reign over the global mobile phone market, Nokia has finally been dethroned. For the first time ever, Samsung Electronics managed to outsell the Finnish phone maker and snatch the crown to become the world's No. 1 mobile maker, according to a Reuters poll of analysts.
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Verizon to Charge $30 for New Phone Upgrades
In an effort to supplement its income to cover costs, Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest mobile carrier, announced it will start charging customers a $30 fee for cell-phone upgrades. The fee comes on top of the price customers pay for the new device.
D10 Conference: Apple CEO Tim Cook Consents to be Keynote Speaker
Apple CEO Tim Cook has agreed to make a rare appearance - he's consented to speak at a non-Apple event next month. Cook will kick off the tech conference "D: All Things Digital" at the end of May.
Wireless Carriers Working with Govt to Disable Stolen Phones
Smartphone have gained immense popularity in the past few years, but unfortunately this soaring popularity has also translated in alarmingly high numbers of smartphone thefts. To address this issue, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), police departments and the wireless phone industry have come up with a plan to fight back: a central database to track stolen phones and prevent them from being re-activated.
Nokia Lumia 900: Get $100 Credit While the Data Connectivity Glitch Gets Fixed
As soon as the Nokia Lumia 900 was launched on Easter Sunday, April 8, complaints started to pile up, with numerous users reporting problems with data network connectivity. Nokia acknowledged the problem and said it is a memory management issue on the smartphones offered on AT&T. In some cases, this memory issue could lead to a loss of data connectivity. The company insisted that it is an easily fixable software issue, not a hardware issue or a problem with AT&T's network. However, Nokia has co...
Apple Will Release FlashBack Malware Detection and Removal Tool Soon
Apple has finally announced it will release software to detect and remove the Flashback/ Flashfake Mac Trojan currently infecting hundreds of thousands of Mac computers worldwide.
RIM Flip-Flops on Sideloaded BlackBerry PlayBook App Policy
Back in February, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) distributed the PlayBook OS 2.0, which allows tablet owners to install and run Android applications. These applications must be repackaged by developers and run in an emulator environment on the PlayBook.
Nokia Lumia 900 Debut: Easter Sunday Launch Questioned, Data Network Connection Problems Surface
A lot of excitement and anticipation surrounded the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone, released on April 8, Easter Sunday. Many even pondered whether to ditch their iPhones for this cheaper, but still high-end smartphone, on which Nokia, AT&T and Microsoft have invested millions of dollars.
OnLive Solves Microsoft Licensing Problem by Changing DaaS to Windows Server 2008
OnLive, a hosted Windows and Microsoft Office service for Android tablets and Apple's iPad, has now changed its structure in order to comply with Microsoft's licensing guidelines for virtual desktops.
Facebook Buys Instagram for $1 Billion: Why?
Facebook is in for its largest acquisition ever, spending as much as $1 billion for the ultra-hip photo sharing app Instagram. The app lets users share photos they take with their mobile devices, and provides filters to make photos look like Polaroids or hipster 1970s-like shots.
YouTube Founders Set to Launch Magazine Publishing App Zeen
YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen seem to have a new project up their sleeve. The service, called Zeen, is apparently designed to enable users to "discover and create beautiful magazines," and it's coming soon.
Universal Studios Movies Come to iCloud
Apple has crossed another milestone in their list for its iCloud service. Content from Universal Studios is now available for iCloud users to re-download after purchase, a feature previously unavailable. The major step forward, reported by Mac Rumors, leaves Twentieth Century Fox as the only other major U.S. studio that does not allow users to download content directly to devices.
Max Payne Going Mobile This Month: Coming On Android and iOS Near You
A few months ago, in December, the popular game Grand Theft Auto III made its debut to Android and iOS devices, delivering the same classic game experience, including cut scenes and the iconic radio stations, but adapted for touchscreens. At $5, the game was a hit with mobile gamers, even though it has some tricky controls.
Dark Souls: The Cult-hit Console RPG is FINALLY Coming to PC
German magazine PC Action comes with big news: the cult-hit console game Dark Souls will be available for PC this August. The PC version will include some "new bosses," as well as a few tweaks, such as a touch-up in the graphics department.
iPhone, iPad Lure Prompts Chinese Teenager to Sell Kidney; 5 Charged
Authorities have arrested five people in central China for their involvement in an illegal organ trading, after a 17-year-old boy sold one of his kidneys so he could buy an iPhone and an iPad.
Ex-Intel Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Hi-Tech Chip Design
A former Intel Corp employee, who stole classified documents worth hundreds of millions of dollars, pleaded guilty on Friday, April 6, to five counts of wire fraud. Boston federal prosecutors have alleged that 36-year-old Biswamohan Pani, a former Intel employee, downloaded some of the chipmaker's "most valuable" design and manufacturing documents in June 2008, before leaving for rival company, AMD.
CordCruncher Headphones Promise Tangle-Free Listening Pleasure
Having to deal with tangled cables is never pleasant, especially when it involves the tiny, slim cords of your headphones. You may try to fold them carefully, place them in a separate pocket or even a small bag of sorts, but such cords always have a way to get all tangled up in a million knots. CordCruncher headphones bring an end to this problem.
iPhone 5 Features Rumors: Why Face Recognition Feature and OLED Screen Are Highly Possible
In anticipation of the next-generation iPhone, which is expected later this year, either in June or October, the excitement of Apple enthusiasts over the new and exciting features, have hit the roof.
HTC Beats Headphones May Not be Bundled With Future Devices
HTC fans planning to buy the HTC EVO 4G, or other future HTC device, with the hope of getting the included Beats Audio headphones as well, are in for a disappointment: the Taiwanese manufacturer has apparently reassessed the situation and decided to stop offering the rather overpriced headphones along with HTC devices.
Google Tablet: Why You Shouldn't Expect it Till July
Google has not officially announced that it is working on its own tablet, but rumors of a Google-Asus tablet have been circulating for month. The co-branded device is expected to have a 7-inch display, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and is Wi-Fi-only. But don't expect the tablet to surface anytime soon. Not till July at least.
HTC One X Versus HTC Evo 4G LTE: AT&T and Sprint Super Phones Shootout
At a press conference in New York City on Wednesday, April 5, HTC and Sprint jointly announced the offspring of their collaboration: the HTC EVO 4G LTE. The One line may be HTC's flagship, but the HTC EVO is Sprint's version, and it's basically a doppelganger of the HTC One X expected soon on AT&T.
Steve Jobs Anti-Android Rants Were Real: Biographer
Google CEO Larry Page caused quite a stir recently, saying that Steve Jobs' anger over Android was "actually for show", i.e. it was simply to make Apple employees "rally around" against a known rival, Google. However, Walter Isaacson, the author of "Steve Jobs," the authorized biography of the iconic visionary, insists that Jobs' fury was not fake at all.
Sprint Lets Samsung Nexus S 4G Lick Ice Cream Sandwich
Just in time for an Easter surprise - a Sprint press note bears great news for Samsung Nexus S 4G owners: the wireless carrier has finally started rolling out the much-anticipated Android 4.0 updates. A little more patience may be necessary, but Sprint pledges that all users will have had a chance to install Google's most recent operating system, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, by the end of the month.
Twitter Hauls Spammers to Court
In the past few years, Twitter's popularity has soared and the micro-blogging site is now the go-place for sharing bits of information. Now in its sixth year, Twitter addresses its issues in an adult manner: taking it to court.
EA Voted Worst Company in America, by Consumerist: Why?
Redwood-based video game publisher Electronic Arts, more widely known as EA for short, was voted "The Worst Company in America" in an annual poll run by the Consumerist, a blog affiliated with Consumer Reports.
Mozilla Metro Version of Firefox for Windows 8: A Sneak Peek
Last month, Mozilla announced plans to bring its Firefox browser to Microsoft's Windows 8 platform, and now it seems the company is making good on its promise. Showing off some early glimpses into the Metro-style Firefox, Mozilla developer Brian Bondy posted a few screenshots featuring a prototype Firefox browser.
Google Nexus Tablet Leaked Photo: Will iPad Killer Look Like This?
A new picture seems to be going viral on the Internet, and it is supposedly a leaked image of the much-anticipated Nexus Tablet. On Tuesday, April 3, PocketNow has posted a photo it received, picturing a tablet, "with absolutely no context whatsoever."
