wireless

NEW YORK -- Firefox Mobile OS will launch this summer in five countries, Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs said at the All Things D conference here Monday.

Kocacs, who announced earlier this month that he will be stepping down from his post as CEO, said that the new operating system, which is designed for low-end devices, will launch this summer in Venezuela, Poland, Brazil, Portugal, and Spain.

A spokesman for the company reiterated that the company had announced initial launch countries on February 24 when it was showing off the mobile OS at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Spain.… Read more

GOM Media Player for Windows handles most of the more common video formats, including MP4, AVI, MKV, and more. It comes with a sleeker, more media center-focused design and packs plenty of codecs under the hood to play just about any media format you throw at it.

The initial installation is standard, like any other Windows product: accept a couple terms, set a destination folder, and choose to opt in or out of an offer from AVG. After installation completes, GOM will guide you through an optional setup process to optimize initial use based on sound and monitor setup.

You'… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski urged TV broadcasters to partner with the wireless industry to grow their businesses, instead of fearing mobile operators.

Speaking at the broadcast industry's annual trade show here today, the chairman, whose agency is preparing to auction off more TV spectrum to wireless broadband providers, said that TV broadcasters have nothing to fear from the wireless carriers that want their valuable wireless spectrum. And he encouraged them to work with the wireless industry to find new ways of distributing their content.

"Mobile is an exciting, new platform for exactly what broadcasters do, … Read more

AirDroid is a great utility for accessing your Android device remotely and without cables. It allows you to wirelessly transfer files, update contacts, manage ringtones and more. Nicole Cozma previously went over using AirDroid, but that version was limited to just Wi-Fi networks.

Version 2 of AirDroid now works over the Internet as well as Wi-Fi networks. It also adds some new features, like remote camera control and a phone locator. Since it's not available for download from the Google Play store yet, we'll show you how to get it and sign up for the beta.

At some point, you've probably considered hooking your computer up to your TV. Maybe you even purchased a video cable, only to realize that being hunched over your computer and tethered to the TV is far from the awesome setup you had in mind.

Hooking up your computer to your TV can be as simple or as complex as you want. A basic setup lets you stream the occasional Web video, while a more advanced rig lets you access movie and music files from computers across your home network.

But the most brag-worthy home theater PCs (HTPCs) include all … Read more

Despite Apple CEO Tim Cook having knocked the idea of a convertible MacBook-iPad hybrid device, the company has filed a patent application for just that. The proposed patent, titled "Wireless display for electronic devices," was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today.

The application describes a computer display that is removable from its base -- basically a convertible laptop. But, what's different about this idea from other convertibles made by other companies is that it has wireless display technology. That means the device could be charged wirelessly.

Here's how Apple describes it in … Read more

T-Mobile USA's turnaround efforts appear to be gaining traction, according to preliminary first-quarter results released this evening.

The wireless carrier's net customer base grew by 579,000 to finish the quarter with 34 million customers, T-Mobile said. T-Mobile's branded customer base grew by 3,000, compared with a loss of 349,000 in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The carrier also reported "meaningful improvement" in the branded contract segment in the first quarter, recording net losses of 199,000 compared with a loss of 515,000 for the fourth quarter of 2012 and a loss … Read more

The wireless charging stations of today are either small, flat surfaces upon which you position your phone, or laptop-size spaces that can fit more than one device.

You must lay your smartphone or tablet just so to see the full effects of the charge. A bump or slip makes charging less efficient, which means it will take longer to charge your phone cable-free.

The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) is working on a next-generation wireless charging technology that can not only power smartphones and tablets laying directly on a charging pad, but can also throw its magnetic charging beam upward.… Read more