T-Mobile to make bold moves July 10

T-Mobile issued invitations today for a media event in New York City on July 10.

Exactly what the carrier has in store for the shindig remains a mystery, but T-Mobile promises that it will deliver its "boldest moves yet." It all begins at 11:30 a.m. PT.

Of course, a flashy new handset (or handsets) is a big possibility, with the Sony Xperia Z as the most likely star. Remember that last week, CNET's Roger Cheng reported that T-Mobile had confirmed that the Xperia Z would go on sale "in the coming weeks."

The … Read more

Basis Band gains fresh style

Basis Science, the maker of the Basis Band fitness gadget, announced today three splashy wrist straps. The company hopes the straps will bring a fresh dose of chic to the fitness-minded smartwatch.

Named with evocative titles such as Electric Spring, Carbon Steel, and Cityscape, each strap accessory features a distinctive aesthetic. Cityscape ($34.95) uses a black and white street scene motif, whereas Carbon Steel ($49.95) is made from stainless steel and soft silicone.

The Electric Spring strap ($34.95) is the most daring of all, with wildly colored patterns reminiscent of ink drops and flowers.

If you're … Read more

Verizon upgrades rugged G'zOne series with LTE model

Verizon Wireless today expanded its rugged smartphone lineup by announcing the Casio G'zOne Commando 4G LTE.

An update to 2011's Casio G'zOne Commando, the Commando 4G LTE has largely the same design as its predecessor. Clad in black with a few red accents, the handset packs rubber sidings for protection, and top and bottom ends that almost come to a point.

More importantly, it meets the expected military standards (under the MIL-STD-810G certification) for shock immersion, dust, vibration, salt fog, humidity, solar radiation, low pressure, and high and low temperature. What's more, the touch screen, which … Read more

DroidLanding Twitter account reactivates for new campaign

The official DroidLanding Twitter account has reactivated itself and is broadcasting beacons again.

After sitting dormant for the better part of two years, @DroidLanding is teasing followers with transmissions and videos.

This account has been used to help drum up interest in previous Droid models as they neared launch. While one might assume that a new Droid-branded smartphone is in order, there is nothing in the rumor mill to suggest that will be the case.

As to what exactly will happen should become clear in short order; a YouTube video tells us "combat begins in June." Reading the … Read more

BlackBerry Q10 finally landing on AT&T; June 21

It's been a long time coming, but AT&T customers can now expect to get their hands on the BlackBerry Q10 on June 21. The physical keyboard-toting gadget will cost the industry standard price of $199.99.

With an expertly designed typing surface that's based on BlackBerry's legendary Bold line of handsets, the Q10 features keys that are billed as 30 percent larger. In my experience with the device, I can certainly vouch that punching out messages on the keyboard is both fast and accurate.

That said, to make way for the bigger key layout you … Read more

Sprint expands LTE footprint by 22 markets

Sprint confirmed on Monday that another 22 markets have officially started seeing the network's 4G LTE data speeds.

With the addition of nearly two dozen new areas, Sprint's LTE footprint now reaches 110 markets across the United States.

The new markets are: 

Baton Rouge, La. Centralia, Wash. Clarksville, Tenn. Corsicana, Texas Dalton, Ga. Dunn, N.C. Fond du Lac, Wis. Gainesville, Fla. Henderson, N.C. Kingsport, Tenn. Lansing/East Lansing, Mich. Longview, Wash. Miami Napa, Calif. New Orleans Palatka, Fla. Raleigh, N.C. Sebring, Fla. St. Cloud, Minn. St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, Mich. Tampa, Fla. Warsaw, Ind. … Read more

T-Mobile kicks off MetroPCS shift-over with new phones

Starting Friday, MetroPCS customers will already be able to feel the effects of T-Mobile's buyout in the form of three new phones that customers can start using right away on T-Mobile's 4G network.

The Android-running LG Optimus L9 ($149) and Samsung Exhibit ($129), and Alcatel 768 flip phone ($49) run on T-Mobile HSPA+ 4G network and go on sale today.

Things look up for people seeking an even heartier features experience. Beginning June 17, MetroPCS will also stock its version of the Samsung Galaxy S3, riding T-Mobile's much faster 4G LTE than Metro's own network.

Today, … Read more

Image of HTC One Mini leaks

The rumored HTC One Mini takes another step closer to reality. An image reported to be the fabled, micronized handset has bubbled up into view courtesy of gadget blog Engadget.

If the photo is legit, then the One Mini's hardware will indeed match all the hearsay and speculation. The device is said to be a shrunken-down version of HTC's flagship device, which, unlike the HTC One, features a 4.3-inch LCD screen and a thinner and shorter frame. The phone will likely sport the same gorgeous unibody aluminum chassis as the HTC One.

Other speculation points to a … Read more