mobility

T-Mobile apparently just confirmed an April 24 availability date for the HTC One smartphone. Rather than through a formal press release, the carrier confirmed when HTC's hot flagship handset will grace its shelves via a short and sweet Twitter update.

According to T-Mobile watcher TmoNews, the wireless company tweeted the info tidbit through its T-Mobile USA account. The announcement specifically calls out the LTE version of the HTC One, which should come as no surprise since it was one of the devices highlighted at the carrier's recent LTE unveiling in New York.

There's been a lot of … Read more

AT&T announced today that customers that own an LG Escape can update their devices to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean through a Wi-Fi connection.

A few changes in the new software version include grouping notifications that belong under the same app, and the ability to see the full text or photo of incoming messages in the notifications menu.

In addition, you can also get AT&T DriveMode with the update. Designed to keep drivers from using their phones, the app sends out automatic text responses to incoming texts, e-mails, or calls when it senses that it's … Read more

In what can only be seen as one of the vaguest invitation ever, LG sent out a notice that it will be holding a press conference two weeks from now, on May 1.

Set for New York City, the event's headline reads, "Share the Genius," followed by the subhead, "Capture the Spotlight in True Brilliance." In the background is an image of a microphone.

Though there isn't any additional information about the event, I can only hope that it may be a press conference to announce a U.S. version of the LG Optimus G Pro, … Read more

NEW YORK -- Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt enthusiastically supports what Facebook has done on the Google Android OS with its new suite of apps called Home.

Speaking at All Things D's Dive into Mobile conference here Tuesday, Schmidt reiterated the statement Google put out after Facebook launched earlier this month, defending the company's use of its open-source software to layer a new Facebook-centric experience on Google Android smartphones.

Some people, including Microsoft's head of Windows Phone Terry Myerson, have publicly speculated that if given the choice Google would try to take the Facebook Home app suite … Read more

NEW YORK -- Microsoft sees no need to build its own smartphone to help kick-start sales of devices running its Windows Phone operating system, a company executive said today.

Terry Myerson, a vice president at Microsoft working on the Windows Phone team, told All Things D reporter Ina Fried at the Dive into Mobile conference here this morning, that the company feels its device partners Nokia and HTC are doing just fine when it comes to building smartphones using the Windows Phone operating system.

The precedent for moving directly into phone hardware lies in Microsoft having built its own tablet, … Read more

NEW YORK--Hyper-targeted advertising based on your location is coming to mobile phones and could finally bring money into the mobile advertising market, say experts at the All Things D mobile conference here Monday.

In two separate interviews, the CEO of the mapping app Waze and ad executives Jason Spero from Google and Mollie Spilman of Millennial Media talked up the importance of users' GPS location information to help tailor advertising.

Spilman said that this kind of advertising is very powerful to brands.

"Location is important because we know where you are, and when you are doing something," she … Read more

Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, who was hired three years ago to be a project manager at the U.S. Department of Defense's research and development division known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has announced via Twitter that he's returning to the private sector with Google.

In his new role at Google, The Security Ledger reports, Zatko will be working in an unspecified role with Motorola Mobility's Advanced Technology and Projects division, reporting to Regina Dugan. Dugan is also new to Google, hired last month away from her position as director of DARPA.

Given what … Read more

Despite its rather dull design, the LG Lucid 2 from Verizon is a reliable 4G LTE device that performs consistently well and is available for free with a contract. Aimed at first-time smartphone users, this handset includes a number of features that may just spoil any Android neophyte from here on in.

Sporting Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, wireless charging capabilities (if you buy a separate $30 battery door and a charging pad), and a dual-core processor, the Lucid 2 offers a bit more than the original LG Lucid. Namely, a bump in battery power (from 1,700mAh to … Read more

The high-end Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has no marketing budget and no flashy retail stores. And yet it is one of the most successful handset makers in the coveted Chinese mobile market.

Speaking here today at the All Things D conference, president and co-founder of the 3-year-old company, Bin Lin explained how the company has grown so rapidly from its first device sold in 2011 to now. He also offered advice to bigger multinational companies struggling to sell products in China.

"The way we sell online is to be transparent," he said. "We tell users everything about … Read more