Personal communications

The America Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission today asking the agency to investigate the four major mobile carriers' security practices in regards to smartphones.

The civil liberties group claims that AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are not doing enough to protect users' private and personal data -- specifically on Android devices. The gist of the complaint (PDF) is that these carriers aren't providing users with timely security updates, which the ACLU says is akin to "deceptive and unfair business practice."

"The major wireless carriers have sold millions of … Read more

Sneaking under the radar this week are two new feature handsets available on Verizon Wireless. Known as the LG Revere 2 and Cosmos 3, the devices are available for free under a two-year contract. Without one, however, they cost $199.99 and $189.99, respectively.

The LG Revere 2 is a sequel to 2011's Revere. In addition to its clamshell construction, it sports a 1.3-megapixel camera, a 1,000mAh battery that has a reported talk-time of about 7 hours, and Bluetooth 2.1.

Furthermore, it has an external, 0.98-inch display, as well as a 2-inch internal color … Read more

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

Michigan Judge Raymond Voet doesn't like phones interrupting court proceedings. It's fair enough; court is very serious business, and the last thing you need is someone's wacky ringtone right at the moment of sentencing. Voet, therefore, decided that offenders are liable to be held in contempt and fined, a policy that's stated in a clear sign hanging in Voet's courtroom.

So when, in the middle of court, his own phone started asking him to give it voice commands, he had no choice but to hold himself accountable.

"The prosecutor was in the middle of his closing arguments," Voet, an Ionia County 64-A District Court judge, told ABC News. "He lost his train of thought and looked at me. I felt my face starting to burn red." Voet turned off his phone and allowed the prosecutor to continue. During a break in proceedings, however, he fined himself the $25. … Read more

As news spread of the blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon, people in the area reported that phone lines were down and cell phone calls could not get through. However, smartphones enabled some to send text messages and update social media accounts.

People took to social media sites like Twitter and Instagram to notify loved ones that they were OK. Others were using Twitter as a tool to reach out and ask those in the area to post updates.

Shortly after at least two bombs exploded near the Boston Marathon finish line today, reportedly killing at least two people and injuring dozens, cell phone service in the heart of the city was severely disrupted.

An Associated Press report initially claimed, citing an anonymous law enforcement official, that "cellphone service has been shut down in the Boston area to prevent any potential remote detonations of explosives." But AP reporter Peter Svensson said on Twitter at 2:45 p.m. PT that "cellphone problems in Boston are not due to an intentional shutdown" and the wire service was publishing an updated story. AP subsequently reported that service was operating in the Boston area, though cell traffic was heavy in the aftermath of the bombings. … Read more

If you're in the market for a new smartphone this year, chances are good you're seriously considering the two best Android handsets: the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.

Both offer tempting helpings of powerful components, advanced features, and cutting-edge software.

So which device should you go with? It's a tough choice. But fear not: CNET is here to help. Sit back as we stack up all the abilities these excellent phones have in common and the key differences that separate the two. … Read more

Microsoft is reportedly exploring the idea of joining what promises to be a crowded smartwatch market.

The tech titan has asked suppliers in Asia to ship components for a potential touch-enabled watch device, executives at the suppliers told The Wall Street Journal. One executive told the Journal that he had met with Microsoft's research and development team in Redmond, Wash., but it's unclear whether Microsoft will commit to producing such a device.

CNET has contacted Microsoft for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

Microsoft has dabbled in the sector before, marketing devices running its … Read more

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt predicted that the world's entire population will be on the Internet by 2020.

"For every person online, there are two who are not," Schmidt said on Google+ last night. "By the end of the decade, everyone on Earth will be connected."

Certainly the number of people online is expanding dramatically, in particular with the spread of mobile phones. But the entire world?

That's a bold claim, given persistent poverty in many parts of the world and the difficulty of bringing even wireless networking to large swaths of thinly populated … Read more