News

Samsung Galaxy Muse takes on the iPod Shuffle

Samsung's latest Galaxy announcement, the pebblelike Galaxy Muse, is a stylish $50 media player that attempts to divert some of the iPod zeitgeist to Samsung's flagship phones.

Plug it into the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy S3, and the Galaxy Muse syncs with the smartphone, so you can access just your music without bringing the entire phone with you on a jog.

Available in the familiar Pebble Blue and Marble White options, the Galaxy Muse offers 4GB of storage and delivers up to 6 hours of music playback. While it might be easy to dismiss it … Read more

QWERTY BlackBerry 10 phone will launch before June

No need to hit the panic button on Research In Motion yet; its BlackBerry 10 phones aren't facing any major delays, CNET has learned.

A report from Forbes, citing research firm Detwiler Fenton, said the Blackberry 10 devices wouldn't hit until March, and that the QWERTY version wouldn't come until June.

The bit about a June launch is inaccurate, according to a person familiar with the company's launch plans.

RIM is expected to unveil its devices on January 30, with a launch coming roughly four to six weeks after, so the first BlackBerry 10 phone may … Read more

Is Xiaomi the Chinese Apple? Its CEO plays the Steve Jobs role well

There's a company operating in China that is called the next Apple by supporters, and is run by a founder that has achieved Steve Jobs-like status among his firm's followers.

Xiaomi Technology may be largely unknown to the outside world, but in China it's a household name, Reuters reports in a detailed profile of the company and its founder. As with Apple in the U.S. and other countries, Xiaomi commands instant attention in China when it announces a new product. When it releases new devices, it's not uncommon for Chinese workers to take the day … Read more

Samsung's Galaxy S3 to get Premium Suite upgrade

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is getting the company's Premium Suite upgrade pack.

Samsung launched a video today showing just some of the features coming to its flagship handset. The upgrade, which was previously announced for the Galaxy Note 10.1, adds a new featured called Page Buddy that predicts what the users want to do based on their actions. So, if the Galaxy S3 owner plugs in earphones, the software will load the music player.

A contextual menu feature is also available in the Premium Suite upgrade, allowing users to see their most frequently used apps, rather than an … Read more

On T-Mobile killing the subsidy: It's about time

T-Mobile USA wants to shake up the status quo in the wireless industry to spur its turnaround. At the same time, it could change the way consumers think about how they pay for their services.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere yesterday said the carrier would eliminate subsidies next year, moving completely to its "Value" plans. In doing so, it will be the first nationwide carrier to shed the age-old (and typically more lucrative) practice of signing customers to long-term contracts in exchange for subsidies.

Under this model, consumers either pay full price for the smartphone, or pay in monthly … Read more

T-Mobile to sell iPhone in 2013

Thursday's CNET Update completes the set:

T-Mobile USA Chief Executive John Legere confirmed that the carrier will be selling the iPhone next year. Expect T-Mobile to target AT&T and offer competitive pricing with new Value Plans.

Also in today's tech news roundup:

- Apple CEO Tim Cook said some Mac production will move to the U.S. in 2013. He also hinted that Apple is working on a new television concept.

- Google+ is adding Communities. These groups can be public or private for people with similar interests to start hangouts and plan events.

- Facebook … Read more

Beyond quad-core: What's next for mobile processing power

Remember when a quad-core processor was the ultimate indicator of a super-smartphone? Well its 15 minutes are almost up.

Just as the current run of super-smartphones are destined for the bargain bin in a few months, so too will the novelty and obsession with the number of cores powering a phone begin to fade. Sure, smartphones with the latest quad-core chips still rule now, but companies are already preparing to change the conversation.

In its place, expect chip companies, handset manufacturers, and wireless carriers to shift their marketing away from an emphasis cores and more toward tangible benefits such as … Read more

Bill Gates twixt Putin and pope at No. 4 in Forbes 'most powerful'

Wielding both wealth and influence, Bill Gates is the world's fourth most powerful person, as ranked by Forbes.

Rising to fourth place from fifth last year, Gates was cited by Forbes for his vast fortune. The Microsoft co-founder is worth $65 billion even after donating more than $28 billion toward various causes.

But it's also his mission and his influence that make Gates a powerful man.

As co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he's been on a quest to stamp out a variety of diseases around the world. As Forbes notes, Gates estimates that the … Read more

HTC struggles continue, revenue falls in November

November was not a good month for HTC.

The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer today posted (PDF) revenue of 21 billion Taiwan dollars, or $729.4 million, in November, down nearly a third from a year ago. This marks the 13th consecutive month of year-over-year revenue drops, as the company struggles to get out of a slump that's lasted more than a year.

November did improve upon October, when revenue was 17.2 billion Taiwan dollars, or $591.8 million.

The results illustrate the continued struggles facing HTC, one of several handset manufacturers battered by the competition that has left Apple … Read more