Stories by Matt Hamblen

Smartphone shipments outpaced PCs in 2011 for first time

Smartphone shipments overtook personal computers -- including tablets, laptops, netbooks and desktops -- for the first time in 2011, according to new research from Canalys.

Presidential candidates' mobile websites still works in progress

Despite pronouncements that they are pro-technology, all of the U.S. presidential candidates have made fairly feeble attempts at building mobile campaign websites.

Spending on chips for mobile devices outpaced computers in '11

Spending on microchips used in smartphones, tablets and related wireless devices surpassed spending on chips for computers in 2011, according to IHS, formerly iSuppli.

London calling with BlackBerry 10 smartphone

Research in Motion's incipient BlackBerry 10 smartphone, code-named London, has a thin and long design, according a photo obtained by CrackBerry.com.

Galaxy Note and S Pen: Can a tweener smartphone-tablet succeed?

The 5.3-in. Samsung Galaxy Note, set to be available for AT&T's LTE network on Feb. 19, is called a smartphone, but its touchscreen and integrated S Pen stylus for drawing and taking notes elevates the device into a somewhat different category.

RIM says 'Be Bold' cartoon is not a new BlackBerry ad campaign

Research in Motion said its Be Bold cartoon superheroes unveiled in a recent blog infographic were always "intended to be a bit of fun" and are not a new ad campaign.

RIM criticized for 'Be Bold' superhero blog and graphic

Research in Motion's tumultuous year seems to keep getting worse, as ridicule springs up over a company blog post and graphic featuring so-called "Be Bold" superheroes -- an apparent attempt to boost the appeal of its RIM Bold smartphones to the youth market.

Kindle Fire sales stronger than analysts expected

Amazon will announce fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday on the heels of what analysts called stronger-than-expected fourth quarter Kindle Fire tablet sales.

Samsung's Galaxy Note to hit AT&T stores Feb. 19 for $300

The Galaxy Note smartphone with tablet features and a stylus hits AT&T stores Feb. 19 for $299.99 and a two-year agreement, the carrier announced Monday.

'If I Die' Facebook app sends your final message

A new Facebook app might be perfect for the person who always wants to have the last word -- the really last word.

AT&T to launch communication services

AT&T will launch new cloud-based unified communications services on Thursday, giving businesses the ability to integrate chat, email, voice over IP calls, audio and video conferencing and more over desktops and many mobile devices.

New RIM CEO must first execute strategy: analysts

A lot is riding on Thorsten Heins, who's been charged with resuscitating stumbling Research in Motion as its new CEO.

Tablet and e-reader ownership doubles over holidays, Pew says

Tablet and e-reader ownership nearly doubled in the U.S. over the recent holiday period, according to three new surveys from the Pew Research Center.

E-book library borrowing hits record pace

Holiday sales of new tablets and e-readers have catapulted e-book borrowing at many of the nation's libraries, raising the question of how libraries can keep up with demand -- especially when some publishers still balk at e-book lending.

Windows Phone to bump iPhone for second place in '15, IHS predicts

Thanks mainly to the new Lumia 900 and Nokia, Windows Phone could represent nearly 17% of the smartphones shipped in 2015, edging out Apple's iPhone for the second-place ranking behind Android smartphones.