Smartphones

Angry Birds creator Rovio: We're an 'entertainment' company

LAS VEGAS -- Rovio, the company that developed the popular Angry Birds games, is not just a mobile gaming company anymore. It's an "entertainment" company, says Chief Operating Officer Harri Koponen.

Speaking at the CTIA 2013 trade show here Wednesday, Koponen described the company's evolution from casual game-maker to media mogul. The company, which launched its first Angry Birds game in December 2009 on the iOS platform, has built an empire around the lovable, wingless Angry Birds, which players hurl at structures to protect their eggs from "bad piggies."

"Entertainment is a big … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Discover leaps to Cricket (hands-on)

LAS VEGAS -- Although already available through other carriers like Net10 and Straight Talk, the Samsung Galaxy Discover will be available on Cricket Wireless starting this summer.

The news was made official during a press conference today during CTIA. The carrier also announced that it will release the Samsung Admire 2 in the summer, as well as the Galaxy S4 on June 7.

Though Cricket did not release final pricing, the Galaxy Discover currently retails for about $100.

Design Compact and sturdy at 4.4 ounces, the 3.5-inch Galaxy Discover is a small entry-level device that measures 4.59 … Read more

Cricket announces Samsung Admire 2 for summer (hands-on)

LAS VEGAS--Cricket Wireless has big plans for this year. In addition to announcing that it will be offering the Galaxy S4 in June, and its new "Half is More" ad campaign, the prepaid carrier also reported that it will sell the Samsung Admire 2.

Though no specific availability date and pricing information was given, the Admire 2 is scheduled to come out this summer. Its predecessor, which was originally offered on MetroPCS, launched with an initial price point of $129.

Design During the press conference, Cricket did not release any specs. But what I could gather from handling … Read more

Verizon partners with JLo's Viva Movil to target Latinos

LAS VEGAS -- Verizon Wireless is teaming up with actress and singer Jennifer Lopez to better address the growing Hispanic market.

On Wednesday the company announced a partnership with Viva Movil, a new brand created by Lopez to capitalize on the fastest growing demographic in the U.S.

"This new company is here to revolutionize the entire mobile experience for Latinos," said Lopez. "There's no specific place for Latinos to be specifically catered to. We will continuously evolve the wireless shopping experience with Verizon Wireless's guidance and support."

Lopez, who will serve as chief … Read more

Early details emerge for what could be new HTC Desire models

A pair of yet-to-be-announced HTC smartphones surfaced this week, tipping the hardware maker's future plans.

An HTC 102e currently getting its certification (translate) in Taiwan may prove to be a variation of the rumored G2.

Details show the handset as having a 3.5-inch 320x480-pixel display, a 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the entry-level device should feature a microSD expansion card and a 1400mAh battery. The 102e reportedly will debut as the Desire 200 and could be exclusive to the Asian market.

An … Read more

Walmart exec: Mobile can revive personal touch for shoppers

LAS VEGAS -- Walmart believes smartphones can deliver the same kind of personalized service that founder Sam Walton embraced with his first store.

Where e-commerce brought the store to the Web, smartphones are bringing the Web to physical stores, with each consumer able to access data from their phones, according to Gibu Thomas, head of mobile for Walmart.

"The future of retail is the history of retailing," he said during a keynote address at the CTIA Wireless trade show on Wednesday. "It's about a personalized experience for each shopper delivered through the smartphone."

Critics fear … Read more

Cricket's Samsung Galaxy S4 sells June 7 for $600

LAS VEGAS -- Cricket announced on Wednesday that it'll sell Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone starting June 7.

The superpremium handset sells for the hefty sum of $599.99, but buyers can also put $55 down and space out monthly payments.

Cricket's version of the Galaxy S4 includes the same high-end hardware specs you'll find on any carrier, like a 5-inch HD screen, a 13-megapixel camera, and a TV remote control. However, it'll also carry Cricket's Muve Music service, which gives you unlimited access to downloadable songs and ringtones as part of the monthly Android … Read more

The Damson Pearl and Oyster make landfall

LAS VEGAS -- Making waves for the first time in the U.S., the Pearl and Oyster wireless speakers from Damson Audio have washed up on the beaches of CTIA 2013. Both Bluetooth products are designed by the British manufacturer, but it's the first time we've seen them on this side of the pond.

Small in stature, you'd be ill-advised to think the Damson Pearl can't belt out serious sound. To the contrary, the gadget uses a special rubbery foot plus down-firing woofers on its bottom edge to significantly boost its audio impact. Indeed, after being … Read more

HTC executive exodus now includes Asia CEO

HTC executives are departing a company that's facing strong challenges in the mobile market.

Our colleagues at CNET Asia this morning reported that HTC Asia CEO Lennard Hoornik has left the handset maker after an absence of two months during which he was "on leave," and there's no word on where he is headed.

That departure continues an unsettling trend for HTC. Chief product officer Kouji Kodera, who led HTC's general product strategy, left last week, according to The Verge. Vice president of global communications Jason Gordon recently exited the company after a seven-year stint. … Read more