wireless

T-Mobile reports gain of 579,000 customers in Q1 2013

T-Mobile USA's turnaround efforts appear to be gaining traction, according to preliminary first-quarter results released this evening.

The wireless carrier's net customer base grew by 579,000 to finish the quarter with 34 million customers, T-Mobile said. T-Mobile's branded customer base grew by 3,000, compared with a loss of 349,000 in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The carrier also reported "meaningful improvement" in the branded contract segment in the first quarter, recording net losses of 199,000 compared with a loss of 515,000 for the fourth quarter of 2012 and a loss … Read more

Vertical wireless charging means cool things for your phone

The wireless charging stations of today are either small, flat surfaces upon which you position your phone, or laptop-size spaces that can fit more than one device.

You must lay your smartphone or tablet just so to see the full effects of the charge. A bump or slip makes charging less efficient, which means it will take longer to charge your phone cable-free.

The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) is working on a next-generation wireless charging technology that can not only power smartphones and tablets laying directly on a charging pad, but can also throw its magnetic charging beam upward.… Read more

Crave giveaway: Bem Wireless Bluetooth boom box

Congrats to John B. of Doral, Fla., for winning a bag of CNET swag in last week's giveaway. This week, we've got a little prize with big sound.

The Bem Wireless Boom Box measures about 12 inches by 9.5 inches by 5 inches and brings 2.1 stereo sound with you wherever you go. It connects to smartphones, tablets, and other Bluetooth devices, with up to 40 feet of working wireless range and about 10 hours of battery life per charge.

Now that spring is here and summer's on its way, this little audio accessory would … Read more

Prepaid or postpaid?: The fight for your cell phone dollars (Smartphones Unlocked)

This article originally published 11/11/2012 and was updated most recently on 3/25/2013.

Now that T-Mobile has smashed into the center of the no-contract wireless game, the tussle for your business between the contract and no-contract carrier model is even more urgent.

There's no question that the prepaid model is designed to save you money over a two-year contract agreement, but how much do you really gain by going prepaid, and what might you lose from the subscriber experience?

For the sake of comparison, I'm going to break down the cost of ownership over a … Read more

How to use an AT&T iPhone on T-Mobile's no-contract network

T-Mobile has finally done away with contracts, offering single-line monthly plans with unlimited talk for as little as $50 per month.

The shakeup is good for everyone, but if you own an AT&T iPhone and are ready to switch carriers, T-Mo's new bargain plans are looking you straight in the eye.

A $50 no-contract plan sounds too good to be true, but the company's formula is simple: instead of subsidizing a phone upfront and shifting the cost to the monthly fee, new customers will pay the full -- or in some cases, slightly discounted -- price … Read more

Wireless charging still has strings attached

As obviously useful as wireless charging is, it suffers from a Tower of Babel problem with incompatible standards and competing interests keeping it from truly going mainstream.

But the industry may yet be inching toward some level of sanity. AT&T is seeking from its handset vendors a commitment to one standard of wireless charging, CNET has learned.

The standard, known as PMA, or the Power Matters Alliance, is spearheaded by Powermat Technologies and Procter & Gamble, two unlikely leaders considering their highest-profile products are the bulky iPhone charging covers that only true power-hungry users submit themselves to using. … Read more

Cops: U.S. law should require logs of your text messages

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and other wireless providers would be required to capture and store Americans' confidential text messages, according to a proposal that will be presented to a congressional panel today.

The law enforcement proposal would require wireless providers to record and store customers' SMS messages -- a controversial idea akin to requiring them to surreptitiously record audio of their customers' phone calls -- in case police decide to obtain them at some point in the future.

"Billions of texts are sent every day, and some surely contain key evidence about criminal activity," Richard Littlehale … Read more

Galaxy S4: Cool features, awful launch

CNET Update didn't expect Samsung to be sexist:

Samsung finally unveiled its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. But this was no ordinary press conference. The Galaxy S4 presentation was a campy Broadway-styled spectacle that was painful to watch with sexist caricatures of women.

Despite the distasteful event, the Galaxy S4 will surely be a big seller and top rival to the iPhone. Today's video offers a quick explanation of the smartphone's new features, such as being able to navigate by waving a hand over the screen. (Many of these features will also come to Galaxy S3 users.) … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 offers optional wireless charging

Good news, wire haters: the Samsung Galaxy S4 will support wireless charging.

The bad news? The feature will cost you upward of $100.

We're hearing that adding wireless charging to the S4 will require a new back cover ($39.99), as well as a dedicated wireless charger ($59.99). The charger is said to hit stores in April, but the back cover may not see the light of day until June.

We can't yet confirm if the charger supports the existing Qi standard (as Engadget reports), which would make it compatible with third-party chargers like the Energizer Dual Inductive Charger. … Read more