Filed under: Cell phones

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RIM’s BlackBerry Torch to take on iPhone

See more photos of the BlackBerry Torch here.

Research In Motion unveiled a new BlackBerry smartphone with a touchscreen and slideout keyboard, hoping to raise its consumer appeal and fend off competition from Apple’s iPhone.

The BlackBerry Torch will go on sale in the United States on Aug. 12 for $199.99 with a two-year contract with AT&T Inc. The device uses a new operating system and has a faster and easier-to-use Web browser, RIM said on Tuesday. Get the full story »

Android phones outsell iPhone in first half of 2010

Google Inc.’s Android has overtaken Apple Inc.’s iPhone in the high-profile smartphone sweepstakes, according to one market research firm.

New smartphone subscribers choosing Android handsets accounted for 27 percent of U.S. smartphone sales in the first half of the year, surpassing the 23 percent share held by Apple’s wildly popular phones, the Nielsen Company said Monday. Get the full story »

U.S.: UAE BlackBerry block ‘dangerous’

The United States said it was disappointed that the United Arab Emirates planned to cut off key BlackBerry services and said the Gulf nation was setting a dangerous precedent in limiting freedom of information.

“We are committed to promoting the free flow of information,” said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. “We think it’s integral to an innovative economy.” Get the full story »

1962 Gorilla glass could be hot for Corning

A piece of flexed Gorilla glass, an ultra-strong glass that has been looking for a purpose since its invention in 1962. (AP/Corning)

An ultra-strong glass that has been looking for a purpose since its invention in 1962 is poised to become a multibillion-dollar bonanza for Corning Inc.

The 159-year-old glass pioneer is ramping up production of what it calls Gorilla glass, expecting it to be the hot new face of touch-screen tablets and high-end TVs.

It picked up its first customer in 2008 and has quickly become a $170 million a year business as a protective layer over the screens of 40 million-plus cell phones and other mobile devices. Get the full story »

Verizon phone users gobble more data than AT&T’s

Thought your iPhone-toting friends were always buried in their phones? Seems Droid users are even more active Web surfers, according to a report released this week.

The average Verizon Wireless smart-phone owner gobbles up more of the network’s wireless data each month than AT&T customers, according to a survey of 20,000 cell phone bills by Validas. Get the full story »

State Farm Bank adds iPhone deposit app

The $15.6 billion-asset State Farm Bank has introduced a point-and-shoot deposit application for customers with  iPhones.

The Bloomington-based bank, which is affiliated with the State Farm Insurance Cos., said its customers can deposit checks into their  account from their phones. Get the full story »

Motorola’s profit soars as revenue stabilizes

Motorola Inc. saw its second-quarter profit jump significantly from last year, with executives sounding increasingly confident about the mobile device devision’s ongoing transformation into a profitable smartphone maker.

The Schaumburg-based company posted net profit of $162 million, or 7 cents per share, for the second quarter, compared with a year-earlier profit of $26 million, or 1 cent per share. The profits were driven mostly by Motorola’s enterprise mobility and networks units, although its mobile phone business showed signs of progress. Get the full story »

Planned intro of ‘iPhone killer’ drives RIM’s stock

Shares of Research In Motion jumped Wednesday on speculation it would unveil a new touch-screen BlackBerry that could compete more effectively with Apple Inc.’s iPhone and other smartphones.

RIM is expected to announce the launch of the BlackBerry 9800 at a joint event with AT&T Inc. in New York Tuesday. AT&T is expected to get exclusive U.S. rights to sell the device. Get the full story »

Sprint Nextel loss widens in 2Q

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s second-quarter loss widened as overall subscribership fell and the company booked a $302 million tax-related charge.

Still, shares jumped 5.4 percent in premarket trading to $5.09. As of Tuesday’s close, the stock had risen 32 percent this year. Get the full story »

Federal ruling allows iPhone users to alter software

The U.S. copyright office issued exemptions to a copyright law, giving legal protection for people who unlock their smartphones like Apple Inc.’s iPhone.

Changing operators’ fixed phone settings — a concept known as “jailbreaking” — has become widely popular around the world since the 2007 introduction of Apple’s iPhone.

The move by the copyright office to give exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) will undermine handset makers like Apple’s ability to control the installation of software programs on their phones. Get the full story »

Apple begins shipping free bumpers for iPhone 4

From Gizmodo | Readers of the gadget Web site Gizmodo sent in confirmation e-mails to the site’s editors showing that Apple has started shipping its free bumpers — “the bandaid to solve your antenna problems” — to its users.

American joins mobile flight info club

American Airlines launched a free mobile application Monday to let iPhone and iPod Touch users track flight details, monitor standby lists, track frequent-flier accounts and check in for flights.

American is among a growing number of airlines and travel companies taking advantage of Apple’s developer-friendly architecture to create new bells and whistles to help travelers wile away hours in airports, hunt for bargains or get the biggest bang from their frequent-flier miles. Get the full story »

Citi tells mobile bankers to download new app

From the Wall Street Journal | Citigroup is telling mobile banking customers to upload a new iPhone app to avoid a security flaw in the old version.

Apple to expand iPhone 4 sales on July 30

Apple CEO Steve Jobs at a press conference on the Apple iPhone 4 reception problems at Apple's headquarters, July 16, 2010. (David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

Apple Inc. said on Monday that its popular iPhone 4 model will go on sale in an additional 17 countries on Friday, July 30.

The newest version of iPhone went on sale in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. in late June, creating a carnival-like atmosphere and drawing tens of thousands of eager fans to Apple stores and retail partners. Get the full story »

UAE seeks to reduce BlackBerry ‘threat’ to security

The BlackBerry, made by Canada’s Research In Motion, is open to misuse that poses security risks to the United Arab Emirates, which said it would seek to safeguard its consumers and laws.

Gulf state Bahrain in April warned against the use of BlackBerry Messenger software to distribute local news, drawing criticism from media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders, which called it an act of censorship. Get the full story »