Network access

FCC to look at AT&T;'s FaceTime limits, says report

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission made remarks today that indicate the agency may review complaints filed about AT&T's decision to limit the use of FaceTime video chat over its cell network, The Verge reported.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said he couldn't comment on AT&T specifically, but if efforts to resolve any disputes aren't resolved and a complaint is filed, "we will exercise our responsibilities and we will act."

An FCC representative confirmed to CNET that Genachowski made the comment during a question and answer session after a speech at … Read more

Verizon has no plans to lock unlocked iPhone 5

Verizon Wireless has no intention of hobbling its version of the iPhone 5, potentially allowing its customers to use the GSM smartphone on competing wireless carriers.

Verizon's version of the new iPhone, which was released on Friday, comes "GSM unlocked" out of the box, allowing it to be used on Verizon rivals AT&T and T-Mobile. While it was understood that this "feature" could be fixed via a future update, in much the same way Sprint did with the iPhone 4S last November, the nation's largest wireless carrier told the Associated Press it … Read more

RIM fixes BlackBerry outage that hit Europe, Middle East, Africa

RIM's BlackBerry e-mail service was offline earlier today for users across the Europe, Middle East, Africa. But service has since been restored, according to the company.

Research In Motion confirmed the outage in a tweet earlier today and said that services should now be up and running again.

A spokesman for RIM sent CNET the following statement from CEO and president Thorsten Heins:

I want to apologize to those BlackBerry customers in Europe and Africa who experienced an impact in their quality of service earlier this morning. The BlackBerry service is now fully restored and I can report that … Read more

Apple's Maps app slammed over missing cities and other mistakes

Released just yesterday as part of iOS 6, Apple's new Maps app is already facing criticism around the world over a slew of geographic errors.

The app has been faulted for misidentifying cities, using incorrect icons, and even failing to display certain locations. Many of the complaints so far seem to be coming from Europe.

For instance, Irish Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has asked Apple to remove the airline icon for Airfield House. The problem? Airfield House is not an airport but a farm, according to Ireland's Breaking News. Shatter may be worried that pilots relying on … Read more

Facebook quietly tests Photo Syncing on Android, report says

Facebook's Photo Syncing is being tested on Android-based devices, according to a new report.

The feature, which automatically uploads images that Android users snap with their devices to their Facebook profiles, is being tested on a small number of users, The Verge is reporting, citing comments from Facebook.

Upon snapping a photo with an Android-based handset, Facbeook's Photo Syncing automatically sends it to a private folder in the user's account. Those images can then be removed from Facebook or shared publicly, depending on the user's preference.

Photo Syncing isn't quite a secret. Facebook currently has … Read more

Verizon: 'Share Everything' going better than expected

More customers are moving to Verizon Wireless' "Share Everything" plan than the carrier anticipated, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said today.

Not only are more customers switching to the shared offering, Shammo said, but they're also adding more devices than Verizon had expected. And a lot of those people are customers who previously had unlimited data plans.

"We're surprised on share from many different aspects," Shammo said during a Goldman Sachs investor conference presentation in New York. "The thing that really surprises us is a lot of people are coming off unlimited … Read more

Apple apparently fixes iOS 6 Wi-Fi bug

Apple may have been the cause and the solution for an iOS 6 Wi-Fi problem that affected some people who upgraded to the new OS yesterday.

After the upgrade went live, users on Apple's Support Communities and elsewhere began complaining that they could no longer connect or stay connected via Wi-Fi. Some reported that the Wi-Fi option itself was greyed out.

The root of the problem remained unknown for awhile. It's not certain who first solved the mystery, or how. But a Twitter user named tylerc found that iOS checks a certain Apple Web page to make sure … Read more

Sprint may boost plan prices when LTE network gets stronger

Sprint Nextel has been rolling out its high-speed LTE network, but the faster network could come with a downside for customers -- higher prices.

Chief Executive Dan Hesse, speaking at an analyst conference today, said Sprint may consider raising prices once it has made more progress with its 4G LTE network upgrade. The company lags Verizon Wireless and AT&T in building out the high-speed network, something that could limit its attraction to customers.

"We have a competitive disadvantage in terms of LTE footprint," Hesse said. "You don't increase your price when you have a … Read more

More than half of users polled would vote via mobile devices

Would you use your mobile device to vote in an election? A majority of people recently polled said they would, at least under the right conditions.

Among smartphone and tablet owners asked, 60 percent said they'd cast their vote for the next president through a mobile app or text message -- if they could do so without any fear of fraud.

Conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Internet radio provider Stitcher, the poll also found that 49 percent of mobile device owners ages 18 to 34 are using more apps to stay up to date on election information … Read more