Back in February, wireless upstart FreedomPop made some bold promises about free mobile broadband service. Now it appears the company is getting ready to make good on at least one of them.

As reported this morning by Apple news site TUAW, FreedomPop is now taking pre-orders for the Freedom Sleeve, a $99 iPhone 4/4S case that provides "free" 4G wireless service -- among other benefits.

Exciting stuff, right? Before you pull out your credit card, check the fine print. For starters, FreedomPop's WiMax-powered 4G broadband isn't available everywhere -- like here in metro Detroit, where … Read more

iPhone buyers looking for a healthy discount on a new phone can find one at their local RadioShack store, the company tweeted this week.

The retailer is selling the 16GB iPhone 4S for $149.99, the 32GB edition for $249.99, and the 8GB iPhone 4 for $49, all three a full $50 off the retail price.

The promotion is in-store only, so customers can't score the lower price by ordering online. As expected, the sale price requires the usual two-year contract. Buyers can choose from among any of the three U.S. iPhone carriers: Verizon Wireless, AT&… Read more

iPhone buyers have nothing to worry about, at least when it comes to carrier subsidies.

Recent moves by two Spanish carriers to eliminate subsidies for new iPhone users triggered fears that other carriers could do the same. Removing the subsidy paid by carriers to Apple means buyers would have to shell out the full retail price for the phone.

But Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty sees little or no chance of that trend spreading any further.

In a research note published today, Huberty said that all three U.S. iPhone carriers are required by contract to provide certain subsidies. The … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--Theoretical speeds are one thing, but the majority of smartphone owners will agree that real-life data speeds are what count.

Comprehensively charting each carriers' data network is the subject of RootMetric's quarterly report.

So far, the company scouts have systematically combed 42 urban and suburban markets to compare 3G and 4G data speeds.

Their methodology includes test calls, data downloads, and texting. Scouts record how easily they could get onto the network and perform tasks, and then run diagnostic speed tests through RootMetrics' automated software. They never use jailbroken devices.

On the LTE front, RootMetrics found that AT&… Read more

Cocoon has expanded its privacy-enhancement browsing tools to iPhones and iPads today with a new iOS browser called GetCocoon. The Safari alternative, which like the iOS default browser is based on WebKit, creates a buffer around your browsing habits.

GetCocoon uses Cocoon's privacy tech from its desktop browser plug-in to anonymize your browsing. In GetCocoon, as with Cocoon's add-ons, your site requests are run through Cocoon's secure servers, stripped of your identifying details.

The browser supports desktop Cocoon features such as anonymous e-mail address creation, history syncing through your Cocoon account, and single-PIN sign-on. It also lets … Read more

A notification banner, first noticed by MacRumors, which bares a striking resemblance to iOS notifications introduced with iOS 5, appears to only be a placeholder. It is vaguely titled "Default Title for English" with a message of "English - This is a test message description."

The message appears when you log in to your icloud.com account directly from the Web site.

Apple's preview of Mac OS X Mountain Lion shows off a similar banner notification system, which may be related to the iCloud notifications. Certainly syncing notifications across all iOS devices and your Macs … Read more

Mobile subscribers of three more regional carriers will soon have access to the latest iPhones.

Kentucky's Bluegrass Cellular, California's Golden State Cellular, and Kansas' Nex-Tech Wireless are next on the regional list to carry Apple's iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.

Among the three carriers, Bluegrass Cellular and Nex-Tech Wireless spilled the most beans. Both confirmed on their Web sites that on May 18, each would start offering its customers all three models of the iPhone 4S, and at prices $50 less than those charged by the three nationwide carriers.

The 16GB version will sell for $149.99, the 32GB for $249.99, and the 64GB for $349.99, all with the usual two-year contract. Both carriers will also offer the iPhone 4 for $49.99.… Read more

Consumers looking for a good price on the iPhone 4S or 4 could find one waiting at their local Target store.

As of today, the retailer is running yet another sale on Apple's flagship phones, this time cutting the cost by $50. The 16GB iPhone 4S can be had for $149.99, while the iPhone 4 is selling for $49.99, both with the standard two-year contract.

This is an in-store promotion only. The Target Web site lists the 16GB iPhone 4S at its usual price of $199.99.… Read more

NEW ORLEANS--T-Mobile's network will be compatible with the iPhone later this year -- even if it isn't selling it, the company said today.

The wireless carrier added that it had tapped Ericsson and Nokia-Siemens for its $4 billion 4G LTE deployment.

The moves will address the two biggest gaps at T-Mobile: the lack of the iPhone and a more advanced 4G LTE network. Bogged down by its failed merger attempt with AT&T last year, the company has more recently shifted gears in hopes of mounting a comeback in the wireless market. … Read more