Wireless

Thanks to Google Android, there are more tablet choices on the market than you can shake a stick at. But with a weak supply of apps to choose from and some buggy software, are these iPad knockoffs worth it? Or should consumers just pony up a few extra bucks and buy the iPad?

With the iPad 3 just around the corner, Ask Maggie tackles this question helping one reader decide if a low-cost Android option is better than a higher-priced iPad. Ask Maggie also helps a devoted iPod Touch user decide if he should get an iPhone as his first … Read more

Why does it take so long for Motorola to update its smartphones with the latest Android OS updates? Blame it on the hardware, said Christy Wyatt, vice president and general manager for Motorola Mobility's enterprise business unit.

At a roundtable discussion with reporters this week in New York City, Wyatt explained that making sure a new release of Google's software works on every variation of a Motorola smartphone takes time, especially with devices launching in multiple countries.

Motorola is not the only Android manufacturer that has been slow introducing Android upgrades. Samsung, HTC, Sony, and LG have also … Read more

Joining a carrier Wi-Fi hot spot on your smartphone or tablet will soon be as simple as turning on your device. That means no more scrolling through lists of available Wi-Fi networks, and no more typing passwords to join networks.

Wireless carriers all over the world have been turning to Wi-Fi to alleviate network congestion, but the onus of actually getting on those networks has been on individual subscribers. A set of new standards being developed will soon change that.

The IEEE technical standards body is developing 802.11u and the Wi-Fi Alliance has developed its Hotspot 2.0 initiative … Read more

LightSquared, the hedge fund-backed company planning to build a nationwide wireless broadband network to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless, is asking the Federal Communications Commission to set stricter technical rules for GPS devices.

Today, the company, which has invested billions of dollars to build a wireless broadband network that will blanket the U.S., filed a document with the FCC asking the agency to begin a rule-making process that will enforce strict standards on GPS devices, so that these devices will not inadvertently receive signals that are coming from adjacent spectrum bands.

For more than a year, … Read more

When people hear that a graffiti artist who took Facebook stock instead of cash for paintings he did at Facebook's headquarters will soon be a millionaire after the company goes public later this year, it's hard not to wonder if there is any way you might still be able to cash in on Facebook's riches.

Unfortunately, for most common folk, participating in Facebook's IPO isn't an option. But once the stock starts trading on the public market, eventually regular people will be able to buy shares. It's hard to say at this point whether … Read more

Verizon customers may have more 4G LTE Google Android smartphones to choose from than subscribers on any other U.S. carrier, but when it comes to a Microsoft Windows Phone devices, forget it.

The pickings for Windows Phone smartphones are pretty slim when it comes to Verizon Wireless and even No. 3 carrier Sprint Nextel. So what are interested consumers to do? Ask Maggie offers some advice and some predictions on when these carriers will offer more devices using Microsoft's mobile OS.

The long wait for a Verizon Windows Phone with 4G LTE

Dear Maggie, I'm a Verizon … Read more

Facebook may dominate the social media landscape today with 845 million users, but experts say that instead of consolidating around the market leader, the social media landscape is fragmenting, leaving big opportunities for startups, especially those targeting mobile users.

This could be good news for entrepreneurs and investors who might be green with envy over Facebook's projected $5 billion gain from its upcoming initial public offering. But for consumers, it means that managing Facebook, Google+, and Twitter accounts is just the beginning.

Fred Wilson, a venture capitalist and principal at Union Square Ventures, discussed this notion of a more … Read more

For the social networking giant Facebook, mobile phones represent both an opportunity and significant risk to the company's business.

Over the past year, Facebook executives have noted the growing importance of mobile for the company's growth. About a year ago, the company launched an initiative to get its mobile app on all mobile devices, including smartphones, feature phones, and even the Apple iPad. And Facebook usage on mobile devices has skyrocketed.

But in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday for the company's upcoming initial public offering, Facebook admits that the shift toward mobile … Read more

To get in the mood for this one, I've put on an old favorite, a deep bass track by Dead Prez. It turns out the song's title, and main refrain--"It's Bigger Than Hip Hop"--applies to the power of music in a very literal sense as well.

The acoustical vibrations that are particularly pervasive in the heavy bass lines of hip-hop penetrate our bodies and can then be captured and stored as electricity to power implanted medical devices. Researchers out of Purdue have built a device, which they are unveiling at the IEEE MEMS conference in Paris … Read more