AT&T announced yesterday that it had activated 2.7 million iPhones during the third quarter, the lowest number of activations for the company in 18 months. 319,000 wireless customers signed on with the provider, less than half the number that did so over the same period last year. READ MORE
This week Google and Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Nexus, the first phone to use Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich). The new operating system has several notable changes such as the ability to use facial recognition to unlock a screen, as well as NFC (near field communication) technology that lets users share apps, Web sites, YouTube videos, maps, directions, and more by simply tapping two Android 4.0 phones together. READ MORE
Sales of personal computers are falling, but they’re slipping very, very slowly. PC shipments increased 3.2 percent in 3Q, well below seasonal averages, according to Gartner research. READ MORE
Google will be making changes to both Gmail and its Reader news and Web aggregation tool. A leaked YouTube video shows off the new Gmail interface, which is designed to be cleaner, simpler, and more intuitive. One of the biggest changes is that the Gmail window will automatically adapt to whatever size the user chooses. READ MORE
Starting in November, Sprint is imposing data usage limits for customers using 3G/4G mobile broadband devices. That means if you use Sprint to get online using a tablet, netbook, notebook, USB card, connection card or Mobile Hotspot device your monthly data allowance will no longer include unlimited 4G effective when your next billing cycle starts. READ MORE
One of the biggest barriers for Google+ adoption for many folks was Google’s insistence on real names rather than pseudonyms. For some, it’s a matter of privacy. For others, it was how they are recognized online, their brand. Well, Google will now allow pseudonyms. READ MORE
According to an unnamed source cited in the Wall Street Journal, Samsung Electronics topped Apple in smartphone shipments this quarter, moving more than 20 million units. Samsung also raced ahead of Nokia, the world’s largest cellphone manufacturer. Nokia shipped 16.8 million smartphones in the last quarter. READ MORE
Fashionistas who can’t buy all the clothes they want in these economic times may find solace in the new social game Fantasy Shopper. Players choose among 100,000 real-world items provided by 40 upscale retailers. They can share outfits with their friends and can collect “Paydays” every hour to earn more fantasy bucks. Players start in London and go on to other world shopping destinations. READ MORE
It’s official: If you have a Windows phone, you can now have Mango. Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday that it has now made the newest version of its mobile operating system (Windows Phone 7.5, A.K.A. “Mango”) to “nearly everyone in the current delivery pool.” READ MORE
Last year, security firms identified Stuxnet, a disabling virus that appeared aimed at Iran’s nuclear facilities but then spread around the world. Stuxnet pointed up a well-known vulnerability in industrial control systems, which often have little or no security. READ MORE
