wireless

New app gives Google Maps some competition

If you're looking for a mapping app that won't eat up your data plan and will give you results lickety split, Skobbler's ForeverMap2 may be that app.

The navigation technology startup hopes to give Google Maps a run for its money with its ForeverMap2 app that works both online and offline. The company today launched the ForeverMap2 app for Android devices.

The app uses mapping information from the open-source project OpenStreetMap, which has built maps via crowd-sourcing. OpenStreetMap is a free editable map of the whole world started in 2004 that allows anyone to view, edit, and … Read more

FCC to hold hearings on post-Sandy wireless performance

The Federal Communications Commission plans to hold a series of hearings over the next few months to discuss ways to avoid losing communications during and after disasters such as superstorm Sandy.

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski today said the agency would look at the challenges facing communications networks and offer recommendations for improving the resiliency of these networks. The first set of hearings will begin in early 2013 in New York City, one of the areas hardest hit by the storm. Additional hearings will follow in other parts of the country.

"This unprecedented storm has revealed new challenges that will … Read more

FCC chair backs Dish Network as wireless carrier, but with a catch

The FCC's chairman has given his thumbs-up to Dish Network's desire to enter the wireless market. But Dish is none too happy with the restrictions proposed.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said yesterday he would approve Dish's request to build its own 4G wireless network, the Washington Post reported. The federal agency, which opposed the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile last year, wants to see more competition in the wireless industry.

"If approved, these actions will promote competition, investment, and innovation, and advance commission efforts to unleash spectrum for mobile broadband to help meet … Read more

CNET Exclusive: Up to 50 percent off headphones for a good cause

This week I am most excited about the GoGroove AudiOHM iDX Noise Isolating Earbuds with Integrated Microphone  for only $14.99. They not only sound good, but the profits go to a good cause. The Fender Music Foundation provides grants for music education programs such as classrooms, community-based organizations, and music therapy programs. Accessory Power has partnered with The Fender Music Foundation to raise awareness and funding for the foundation. Five percent of net profits from the sale of all AudiOHM iDX models during this CNET Exclusive will be donated to the Fender Music Foundation. These comfortable earbuds … Read more

Google reportedly working on open alternative to AirPlay

Google is again taking aim at Apple in the mobile space, setting its sites on developing an AirPlay challenger.

The Web giant is working on an alternative to Apple's wireless feature and hopes to attract the interest of device and software vendors with the effort, according to a GigaOm report. A Google representative declined to comment specifically on its plans for the features, saying "Stay tuned to see this feature coming to more devices and screens in the future."

Google offered an early taste of what it has planned with the debut last week of a new feature for YouTube … Read more

Ultra-cheap $19 Republic Wireless service opens back up

Republic Wireless, the service provider that made waves last year with its super-low $19 unlimited voice, data, and text messaging plan, is back and open to all.

The company garnered headlines and a lot of buzz for its plans when it launched a year ago, and consumers likewise gravitated toward the service -- the service provider had to shut its beta trial shortly after it opened up because of a surge of demand.

Republic Wireless, which buys and resells capacity from Sprint Nextel's network, is able to deliver such a low-priced service because it's betting that users will … Read more

AT&T doubled its 4G LTE coverage this year

Striving to play catch-up with Verizon, AT&T has doubled the reach of its LTE network from a year ago.

The carrier's 4G LTE network now covers more than 150 million people across the U.S., double the number at the end of last year. With its rollout ahead of schedule, AT&T aims to reach 250 million people by the end of next year and 300 million by the end of 2014.

AT&T's LTE network is currently available in 103 markets scattered around the country. This week was another busy one for the … Read more

Wireless charging blazes path toward mainstream

The ability to charge a smartphone by simply placing it on a tabletop has been around for a while, but it's more of a novelty, for early adopters and gadget buffs.

Wireless charging cases, back covers, and pads are out in the market, and the Palm Pre memorably championed its Touchstone charging stand a while back, but the options are either too complicated, expensive, or, in the case of the Pre, not popular enough to really resonate with consumers.

That's poised to change over the next year, with momentum and a lot of big-name companies behind the idea. … Read more

LTE networks vulnerable to inexpensive jamming technique

A laptop, an inexpensive transmitter, and a little technical knowledge is all that's necessary to take down the high-speed wireless data networks that are being embraced as the future of wireless communications, researchers warn.

As wireless consumers are increasingly doing more with their smartphones, demand for faster, persistent connections is also growing. Boasting speeds four times as fast as current 3G networks, long-term evolution (LTE) is being deployed across the country by every wireless carrier in the United States. Verizon, which was the first national carrier to launch LTE, expects to have the networks in 400 markets by the … Read more