smartphones

Why I ditched my smartphone

Ashley Gross — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

By the end of this year, about one and a half billion people will have a smartphone. That’s one for every five people on the planet—and remember, that number includes babies.

But I'm one of the ones who longs for the good old days—you know, when phones were just used to call people. It's not that I'm a complete Luddite; I just have a hard time restraining myself with such a cool gadget and not letting it take over my life. That's why I decided to ditch my smartphone.

'Tis the season to lose your smartphone

Dave Meyer — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:51:41 +0000

The holidays are time of joy. But it’s also prime time for losing things.

According to a study commissioned by Seattle-based online backup company Mozy, smartphones top the list of lost items.

You're most likely to lose something at 6 p.m. on a Saturday in December. Keep that in mind when you're reaching for the eggnog.

Why Amazon might make a smartphone

Ashley Gross — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

There’s been growing speculation lately that Amazon has a smartphone in the works. But why?

It’s a crowded market out there in smartphone land. There’s a whole bunch of phones based on Google’s Android software, there’s the Microsoft Windows phone, and of course, Apple’s iPhone.

Also, a small sampling of people on a downtown Seattle street didn't show a whole lot of interest in an Amazon phone.

Microsoft and Nokia: will this marriage work?

Dave Meyer and Mark Anderson — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:15:25 +0000

When Nokia decided its Symbian operating system wasn't the path to success in the smartphone market and started looking for outside options, it found two major suitors: Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 and Google's Android.

The Friday before Valentine's Day, Nokia announced it was hooking up with Microsoft. Will this marriage work? Strategic News Service publisher Mark Anderson says this deal may not be the best thing that ever happened to Nokia, but it won't be the worst.

Microsoft teams up with Nokia

Dave Meyer — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:24:33 +0000

In a widely expected move, Microsoft and Nokia have announced they're joining forces on the smartphone front. Nokia has long been a leader in the cell phone industry, but has fallen behind Apple and Google in the smartphone arena. Microsoft has been playing catch-up with its Windows Phone 7. The new partnership melds Nokia hardware with Microsoft software in what the companies hope will be a winning combination.

No cash, no card, no problem with Starbucks smartphone app

Charla Bear — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:04:59 +0000

Technology-savvy consumers could soon be able to leave their wallets behind when picking up a cup of Joe at Starbucks.

The Seattle retailer is expected to announce Wednesday that customers will be able to use smartphones to pay for goodies at 6,800 stores the company operates in the United States and 1,000 that are in Target stores, according to Claire Cain Miller of the New York Times.

Smartphone insecurity

Dave Meyer and Mark Anderson — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:05:01 +0000

NPR recently reported on how your company’s IT department can wipe out your smartphone if you use it to retrieve email from work. Strategic News Service publisher Mark Anderson says it’s a two-way street: employee phones can also breach corporate security.