Tech Biz

Amazon has reportedly contracted Foxconn to build its long-rumored “Kindle smartphone” according to the Taiwan Economic News. The news corroborates Digitimes’ report late last month that Foxconn will have the smartphones ready for a mid-2013 launch. The site claims Amazon has ordered 5 million smartphones with each unit said to cost between $100 to $200. Continue Reading →

The New York City Police Department and Kings County District Attorney announced this week they took down 41 members of a Bushwick, Brooklyn, gang — and social media helped them do it. New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “Once again we have young gang members using social media to boast about murder Continue Reading →

Here’s one simple way to strengthen your real-world ties: Connect with relatives, colleagues and pals on Facebook. The social network’s structure naturally promotes stronger friendships, a study led by Indiana University post-doctoral research fellow Emilio Ferrara found. Researchers examined millions of Facebook users and their social relationships. The data scientists measured community sizes, intimacy within Continue Reading →

Google Maps’ return to the iPhone and iPad this week may not be permanent, an analyst said. “It would have been out of the question,” said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, referring to a rejection of Google’s submission of Maps to the iOS App Store. Not only would that have been a Continue Reading →

A petition asking the White House to immediately press Congress for tighter restrictions on gun ownership became the most popular ever posted to the White House “We the People” website after less than 48 hours online Sunday. The petition was filed in the hours following an elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., on Friday that Continue Reading →

There’s something in the air this week. Maybe it’s that the holidays are coming, or that it’s getting colder, or that there’s not much actual news to be had three weeks before the Consumer Electronics Show. But for some reason, the dumb Apple rumors are piling up like so many discarded MobileMe accounts. The latest Continue Reading →

If you’re a Google+ fan, Christmas just came early. The service is launching many new features on Friday, including the ability to instantly back up full-resolution photos taken on Android phones. Google announced the upgrades in a blog post, saying they’d be available today on the web and in a new app download in Google Continue Reading →

On December 12, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI tweeted. The spiritual leader of the Catholic religion sent out this message: Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart. — Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) December 12, 2012 In the Continue Reading →

Mobile advances over the last 12 months show no sign of stopping. Improvements in hardware, software, services and networks all add up to more online activities and subscriber growth for network operators. What will the next wave of innovation bring? Rather than reiterate some ideas that haven’t yet taken root — namely widespread NFC use, Continue Reading →

Google on Wednesday announced some big changes to how search will work in Chrome. The company has started experimenting with adding a search box to the browser’s new tab page as well as keeping queries in the omnibox after a search is performed. These tweaks are available to a small set of users on Chrome’s Continue Reading →