Stories by Matt Hamblen

Google combines its services for iPhone users

Google announced a new application for the iPhone Wednesday that allows users to integrate its services into a single interface so they can easily find, use and switch between Google's search, Gmail, Calendar and Reader.

New CEO faces need to set Motorola priorities

Edward Zander's departure as CEO from Motorola, announced Friday, should spark intense examination by incoming CEO Greg Brown into which markets the cell phone and communications equipment maker should focus on.

Report: Mobile phone explosion may have killed man

Police in Cheongwon, South Korea, say a worker died Wednesday possibly because a mobile phone battery exploded in his pocket, according to a report from the Associated Press.

Animals to sleep through zoo's big tech upgrade

The 85 tigers and other big cats at the Carnivore Preservation Trust (CPT) in Pittsboro, North Carolina, may scarcely notice the hubbub, but a US$500,000 communications and computing upgrade is under way to help tell their story to the world.

Kindle e-reader ignites trend toward more wireless devices

Even if you never use Amazon.com's new Kindle e-reader to download books wirelessly, the device is the forerunner of a number of limited-purpose wireless devices that are expected to hit the market in the next few years.

Is e-mail dead? Hardly

A flurry of blogs and news items on the Internet last week suggested that young Internet users are increasingly relying on instant messaging, texting and social networking sites to communicate, often via mobile devices, and almost to the exclusion of...

Lawsuit accuses Comcast of blocking file-sharing apps

A lawsuit filed this week in a California Superior Court alleges that Comcast intentionally interferes with Internet file sharing and blocks or slows some applications to a "mere crawl."

You may hate them, but mobile ads are coming

Mobile advertising is still in its infancy, and already it's despised by some users of wireless devices. Nonetheless, it seems destined to become a major factor in the growth of the mobile Internet.

Breakup lets Clearwire pursue other WiMax partners

After announcing that their formal WiMax partnership agreement was dissolved, both Sprint Nextel and Clearwire said separately that they will continue informal discussions with each other on ways to advance the high-speed wireless technology.

Couple sues Verizon over flaming fiber optic service install

Verizon Communications is being sued by a US couple after the company's installers accidentally set their apartment on fire while installing fiber optic service (FiOS).

Financial exchange cuts fail-overs with Cisco technology

CME Group in Chicago plans to deploy new virtual switching technology from Cisco Systems to minimize downtime and improve response times in its electronic trading business.

Google's Android seen as leading to market fragmentation

This week's announcement of the Android open mobile platform by Google and dozens of other companies could provoke the kinds of industry battles seen with other Linux-based initiatives, where incumbent, established players fight newcomers.

Three Wireless products unveiled, including SMB BlackBerry app

Research In Motion (RIM) Monday released software designed to help businesses with up to 30 users get the same core wireless e-mail and related functions from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server that larger companies and government organizations now get...

Google offers up 'Android' as its new open mobile platform

Google and several other technology companies plan to unveil a new mobile platform called Android on Monday, according to a statement from the company. The system is expected to yield an actual phone in the second half of 2008.

The Google phone: Has a wireless upheaval begun?

The Google phone is inching closer to reality, with wireless handhelds running Google applications and operating software expected in the first half of 2008, several industry analysts said this week.