• Smartphones take center stage in two-factor authentication schemes

  We all know that relying on a simple user ID and password combination is fraught with peril. One alternative is to use one of the single sign-on solutions we reviewed last year, but there are less expensive options that could also be easier to install.

• Jolla announces first Sailfish-based smartphone

  Finnish startup Jolla has announced its first smartphone, which shows off its Sailfish OS on a 4.5-inch screen.

• Canadian Tire forgoes BYOD, issues BlackBerries to workers

  Canadian Tire began issuing thousands of BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to corporate employees in Toronto after rolling out Z10 models weeks earlier.

• iPhone 6 rumour rollup for the week ending May 17

  There's nothing like exclusive, high resolution, leaked photographs of arcane internal iPhone components to trigger the gaga reflex in the iOSphere. It takes skill, honed by long experience with rumoring, to read into them far, far more than is actually there.

• Samsung Link to replace AllShare Play multimedia-sharing app

  Samsung's AllShare Play application, which allows file sharing among the company's mobile devices, has been renamed Link, and it has a new user interface and search features.

• Control your TV with your smartphone, tablet

  Using your smartphone or tablet to control your Tivo box is easy and offers a lot of flexibility in recording shows and channel surfing.

• How to create custom notification tones in iOS 5

  Apple's latest iOS 5 operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices went live last week and one of its new features is custom notification tones.

• Smartphone security: Keep your handset safe

  Once upon a time, a phone was just a phone: It simply made and received calls. The only security you worried about was if someone had picked up in the other room to listen in.

• BlackBerry 6: Wipe Your Smartphone, Restore Factory Settings

  Many reasons exist for why you might want or need to "security wipe" a BlackBerry, or completely erase all personal data stored on your handheld: You got a new smartphone and plan to retire the older device; you're trading in your existing BlackBerry for a new one from your wireless carrier; you and a friend are swapping devices; you loaded too many applications or media and just want to start over from scratch; etc.

• 7 smartphone disasters that could happen to you

  Like all technology, smartphones can be hugely useful. However, some of the time they provide opportunities for tech-tinged embarrassment. We tracked down seven of the most unfortunate mobile phone disaster tales we could find. The stories are fun to laugh at now, but most of them were anything but amusing when they actually occurred...

• Google woos developers as software becomes more important

  Google did its best to court developers at this year's I/O conference with a much-needed integrated developer environment, API for better games and the ability to more easily translate apps. Their allegiance will become increasingly important as smartphone and tablet hardware sees fewer dramatic improvements.

• Nokia reboots Windows Phone push in the US but success will still be hard-won

  Nokia's is rebooting its U.S. Windows Phone push with the arrival of the low-cost Lumia 521 on T-Mobile and Lumia 928 for Verizon Wireless, but increasing sales to meaningful volumes in the very competitive U.S. market will not be easy.

• Google Wallet chief's resignation another bad sign for NFC

  The chief of the Google Wallet operation has resigned to pursue new opportunities, another sign of continuing troubles in convincing U.S. smartphone users to adopt mobile wallets using NFC technology.

• Opinion: Microsoft's smartwatch - Been there, didn't do that

  Vendors are falling all over themselves to develop smartwatches. Will this be yet one more example of Microsoft getting to a market first and then failing to cash in?

• Opinion: What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad

  Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the US. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad.

Whitepapers about smartphones

• 

  The TCO and Security of Enterprise Grade Mobility

  In this whitepaper, Strategy Analytics present the findings of extensive research into the total cost of ownership (TCO) and security across major mobile platforms. Find out about the challenges companies are encountering in the face of the four Cs: Compliance, Control, Cost and Consumerisation. Click to download.

• 

  Setting New Standards in Mobile Security

• 

  Top 10 tips for Migration

• 

  IT Operations Wake up Call - The Impact of Consumer Driven IT