Stories by John P. Mello Jr.

Microsoft Surface Pro sell-out flap: Is the tablet really that popular?

When the US inventory of the 128GB version of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet dried up within hours after going on sale Saturday, there were plenty of disappointed shoppers.

Mozilla releases Firefox for Android beta

Mozilla released a new beta version of its popular Firefox browser for Android on Tuesday.

Will Google tablet sales frag or defrag the Android market?

For consumers who don't live and breathe Android, the market can be confusing. There are dozens of phone models, many running different versions of the Android operating system.

Google privacy policy claims challenged by watchdog

Google's privacy policy changes have caught the attention of an independent watchdog of the federal cloud that is worried about security risks for government workers.

Google+ rolls out new features this week

A quartet of new features will be rolled out this week for users of Google's social network, Google+.

Google offers gripping view of Japanese devastation via Street View

The cataclysmic damage caused by the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan in March has been powerfully captured through 360-degree panoramic photography at Google Street View.

iPad rivals sold 1.2m tablets in US in last 10 months

During the first 10 months of this year, 1.2 million tablet computers were sold in the US and none of them were iPads.

New Apple patent hints at MacBook-tablet hybrid

You don't need to be a Steve Jobs to see that as laptops become ever thinner and tablets become more and more popular, convergence of the products is inevitable. As that day approaches, Apple is preparing to be ready for it.

Will Google roll out its music store this week?

Google is planning a mystery event on Wednesday - could it be the announcement of Google's entry into the online music business?

Privacy: Will Facebook ever get it?

With Facebook reportedly close to cutting a deal with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over privacy sins dating back to 2009, the question remains whether or not the social network's brain trust really gets the privacy issue.

Mobile users want privacy, do little to protect it

While large numbers of consumers are angry about security measures taken by custodians of their online data, three out of every four of them don't even take minimal measures to protect themselves from incursions on their privacy.

'Socialbots' invade Facebook: Cull 250GB of private data

Facebook was recently invaded by a robot army created by four researchers to demonstrate the ease at which online social networks can be maliciously exploited by the unscrupulous.

Samsung passes Apple in smartphone shipments

Apple's position in the catbird seat for global smartphone shipments has been short-lived. Just a scant three months ago, the maker of the iPhone knocked Nokia out of the top spot. Now Samsung and its lineup of Android smartphones are top dog.

Google revamps new-tab page in Chrome web browser

Google has revamped the "new-tab" feature in its Chrome web browser to give the look and feel of a mobile web app.

Nokia Mango phone lineup takes shape

As Nokia World approaches on Wednesday, details about the Finnish firm's Windows Phone 7.5 -- that's Mango -- lineup are beginning to emerge.