The decline, but not fall of Research In Motion

The BlackBerry maker fights speculation that is pulling out of the consumer market Research In Motion has been hit by low earnings and sales amid intense competition Today, virtually every phone not only has email, but also apps and internet connectivity RIM's challenge is to show that it is still relevant and can still fight its rivals Editor's note: Technology journalist Stuart Miles is CEO and founder of gadget review website Pocket-lint. He can be found tweeting at @stuartmiles. (CNN) -- Research In Motion has a battle on its hands if it is to win back the hearts and minds of the smartphone-buying public. Earnings are down, sales are down, and now the company is battling ru

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Apple products in half of U.S. homes

Of the U.S. households that own Apple products, they own an average of three The survey shows Apple buyers tend to skew male and young, with higher education and incomes If you have kids, the likelihood of being an Apple household grows 61% (Mashable) -- Apple has taken firm root in America. Just over half of all households in the country own at least one Apple product, a new survey

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Mac user: Why I love Windows 8

This fall, Microsoft will launch Windows 8, a radical redesign from the Windows of old The classic Start menu is gone, replaced by a tile layout full of your favorite apps and files In an un-Microsoft move, firm created the most radical desktop redesign in more than a decade (CNN) -- I've been a Mac user for about 11 years. And since I made the switch, I never thought the day would come when I'd say this: I'm excited for the next version of Windows. This fall, Microso

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'Harry Potter' comes to e-books

'Harry Potter' books finally come to Kindle, Nook Author J.K. Rowling had feared online piracy of the beloved texts Rowling famously writes longhand on paper (CNN) -- Finally, fans of the world's most famous boy wizard can follow his fight against the evil Lord Voldemort on their e-readers. The entire "Harry Potter" series is now available in digital form at Pottermore, author J.K. Rowling's website for all things Potter, ending what was easi

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Why do magazines look so bad on the new iPad?

Users have complained some magazine apps look pixilated, or blurry, on the new iPad With the iPad 3, publishers are now dealing with a device with four times as many pixels Publishers will have to increase the resolution of their files and export their editions as PDFs An exception is Vogue, which was able to optimize for the iPad's "retina display" ahead of time (Mashable) -- As with any high-profile product release, Apple's new iPad device has been peppered with complaints since reaching consumers' hands on March 16. Among them: that magazines look terrible on the iPad 3′s high-resolution display. The complaints were first brought to light by Tumblr blogger Jamie Billett. He pointed out that in the New Yorker's iPad app, the text on some pages is rendered as HTML, and the text on other pages is rendered as an im

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Which cities lose their cellphone the most?

95% of the time, people who find lost smartphones try to access sensitive data, research shows In 2011, phone losses around the world spiked on Christmas and New Year's Eve Smartphone security company estimates average smartphone replacement cost is $200 Philadelphia, Seattle top list of cities where phones are lost the most Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com, explores how people communicate in the online age. (CNN) -- If you're at a coffee shop, anywhere in Philadelphia, or if it's late at night, hang on to your smartphone. Losing your smartphone can be stressful, given how much important data and access to services a typical one contains. On average, people lose their smartphone once per year, according to Lookout Mobile Security. Recently, Lookout analyzed phone loss data and found some interesting trends about where and when peo

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Which cities lose their cellphone the most?

95% of the time, people who find lost smartphones try to access sensitive data, research shows In 2011, phone losses around the world spiked on Christmas and New Year's Eve Smartphone security company estimates average smartphone replacement cost is $200 Philadelphia, Seattle top list of cities where phones are lost the most Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com, explores how people communicate in the online age. (CNN) -- If you're at a coffee shop, anywhere in Philadelphia, or if it's late at night, hang on to your smartphone. Losing your smartphone can be stressful, given how much important data and access to services a typical one contains. On average, people lose their smartphone once per year, according to Lookout Mobile Security. Recently, Lookout analyzed phone loss data and found some interesting trends about where and when peo

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Which cities lose their cellphone the most?

95% of the time, people who find lost smartphones try to access sensitive data, research shows In 2011, phone losses around the world spiked on Christmas and New Year's Eve Smartphone security company estimates average smartphone replacement cost is $200 Philadelphia, Seattle top list of cities where phones are lost the most Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com, explores how people communicate in the online age. (CNN) -- If you're at a coffee shop, anywhere in Philadelphia, or if it's late at night, hang on to your smartphone. Losing your smartphone can be stressful, given how much important data and access to services a typical one contains. On average, people lose their smartpho

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SOPA backers take new anti-piracy approach

With SOPA stalled in U.S., anti-piracy advocates have taken the fight elsewhere Internet service providers are planning to enforce "six strikes" rule on illegal downloads The motion picture industry is urging other nations, such as India, to act Meanwhile, ACTA, an international treaty, is moving along in major countries (CNN) -- SOPA appears to be dead. But the battle over Internet piracy is not. In the wake of the debate over the Stop Online Piracy Act, supporters of that now-abandoned bill are looking to Internet service providers for help; they're also taking other tacks that Web-freedom advocates say could have much the same effect as SOPA would have had. That bill, which came before the U.S. Congress earlier this year, would have made it easier to shut down websites that illegally share music, movies and other content. Opponents of SOPA, which included tech heavyweights such as Google, Facebook and Wikipedia, argued it was too broad and could effectively stifle expression online. Remember the Wikipedia blackout? It was in protest of SOPA. var cur

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Why parents should teach their kids about tech

70% of parents believe schools should do more to educate children about online safety Of the nearly eight in 10 teens active on social media, 88% have witnessed acts of bullying Online tutorials and interactive activities could provide added discussion points for families Editor's note: Scott Steinberg is the author of "The Modern Parent's Guide" book series and host of video show "Family Tech: Technology for Parents and Kids." An industry consultant and business keynote speaker, he frequently appears as an on-air technology expert for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CNN. (CNN) -- How young is too young for a child to have a cell phone? With the average preschooler now more able to play video games than ride a bike or tie a shoe, and with three-quarters of all middle school- and high school-age kids already owning a phone, it's an increasingly difficult question for today's digital parent to answer. And it might not even be the most meaningful one. From growing issues like cyberbullying, cyberbaiting and sexting to rising concerns over Internet safety, cybercrime, and the over-sharing of personal information online, today's family clearly

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Does new iPad have an overheating problem?

Some owners of the new iPad complain the device becomes uncomfortably hot during use Consumer Reports tests show temperatures as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit while running video game Apple: "The new iPad (operates) well within our thermal specifications" (CNN) -- The new iPad may be a hot item in more ways than one. In the five days since the popular tablet went on sale, Apple comment boards have filled with anecdotal reports from owners who say the back of the device grows uncomfortably warm to the touch, especially in the bottom left-hand co

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New service reports text spam

North American wireless carriers have deployed a new spam-reporting service Service generates a data feed of spam reports that carriers can integrate into security Organizations that disobey shortcode rules can find their shortcode lease revoked The service doesn't tell you if any action was taken against the spammer you reported Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com, explores how people communicate in the online age. (CNN) -- Unsolicited text messages from scammers, companies and political campaigns are illegal and

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iPad lines from around the world

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iPad lines from around the world

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iPad lines from around the world

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New iPads hit stores on Friday

New iPad goes on sale Friday Apple's new tablet has high-definition screen, better camera Reviews say the new one is a step up, but no major overhaul On Thursday, fans had already lined up at Apple stores (CNN) -- The latest version of Apple's iPad, the genre-defining tablet computer that has outperformed virtually everyone's expectations since first released in 2010, goes on sale Friday starting at 8 a.m. local time. As such, thousands of Apple diehards

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Anonymous members speak out at SXSW

Anonymous member appears on a documentary panel at surreal SXSW panel Gregg Housh tells crowd of about 200 that Anonymous associates remain motivated Housh says prominent member "Sabu" had always been "vocal," "angry" Anonymous is the name of a "hacktivist" collective that has made headlines lately Austin, Texas (CNN) -- When it's revealed that a prominent member of a clandestine movement has been giving information to the FBI for months, you'd think it would intimidate others in the group into backing off. And that may have been the case when it was discovered that "Sabu," real name Hector Xavier Monsegur, had been arrested in June and provided information that helped lead to the arrest of five other alleged members of the "hacktivist" collective, Anonymous. For a few minutes, anyway. "That night, after everyone found out, it was a bit chilling," said Gregg Housh, one of the few people associated with Anonymous who speaks publicly using his real identi

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Pinterest's founder seems a little overwhelmed

Ben Silbermann is co-founder and CEO of photo-sharing site Pinterest Silbermann spoke on Tuesday at SXSW Interactive Pinterest "is about helping people to discover things they didn't know they wanted," he says The fast-growing site has more than 11 million unique monthly users Austin, Texas (CNN) -- You might excuse Ben Silbermann, co-founder and CEO of photo-sharing site Pinterest, if he looks a little overwhelmed these days. Pinterest, which encourages users to collect images of their passions on digital pinboards and share them with others, has exploded in popularity in recent months. Reporter

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Gore, Parker urge Web to 'Occupy Democracy'

Al Gore: 'Our democracy is being hacked' and the Web can help Gore and Napster founder Sean Parker spoke at South by Southwest Interactive Both say money is too prevalent in politics and the Web needs to balance that Parker founded Votizen to help turn social networks into political activism Austin, Texas (CNN) -- When speaking to the tech-savvy attendees of South by Southwest Interactive, it doesn't hurt to lead with a Web reference -- even if you're the former vice president. "Our democracy has been

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Have online comment sections become 'a joke'?

Gawker chief: Idea of positive online comments has become a joke Nick Denton speaks at the South by Southwest Interactive festival He said the bigger a site is, the harder it is to curate comment sections One idea? Making certain stories only open to a few select commenters Austin, Texas (CNN) -- In the early days of the Internet, there was hope that the unprecedented tool for global communication would lead to thoughtful sharing and discussion on its most popular sites. A decade and a half later, the very idea is laughable, says Gawker Media founder Nick Denton. "It didn't happ

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Tweeting Osama's death: The accidental journalist

Sohaib Athar was thrust into the spotlight last year by unknowingly tweeting bin Laden raid The IT consultant was "just trying to reverse-engineer what could have happened," he said His Twitter activity puts focus on the role of citizen journalists in a digital world Journalism expert says Athar became a journalist when he began digging for information Austin, Texas (CNN) -- Sohaib Athar was a 33-year-old IT consultant living in Abbottabad, Pakistan, last year when he settled in around midnight to get some work done. Then, something unusual happened in his quiet town. And, as many of us do, he took to Twitter to share. "Helicopter hove

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5 things to watch for at SXSW

Here are some guesses for what will make headlines at SXSW 2012 This year everyone is buzzing about "social discovery" mobile apps Former Vice President Al Gore is set to interview ex-Facebook President Sean Parker Rocker Bruce Springsteen will give a talk Thursday afternoon and then play a gig that night Austin, Texas (CNN) -- South by Southwest, the tech-music-movie conference getting under way here Friday, isn't typically a place for big newsy announcements. The indie ethos of SXSW is more about discovering the hot emerging thing -- a new mobile app, a bold filmmaker, a brilliant set by an undiscovered band. It's hard to predict what everyone here will be talking about by the time SXSW wraps on March 18. The festival is too huge and fractured for that, and tast

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The changing culture of SXSW Interactive

SXSW Interactive evolves from small, community-driven event into a huge industry happening From 2009 to 2010, SXSW's attendance jumped from nearly 11,000 to just under 15,000 In 2007, a tiny service nobody had heard of called Twitter used the fest as a launching ground As the festival grows, it tries very hard to be both sprawling and intimate Editor's note: Omar L. Gallaga is a tech-culture reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, a technology contributor to CNN.com, NPR and Kirkus Reviews, and a veteran attendee of South by Southwest. Austin, Texas (CNN) -- If 2011 was the year that South by Southwest Interactive grew up, 2012 may be when it decides it wants to don a suit and enter the corporate world -- or run off and join the Peace Corps. The history of the funky, Austin-based festival suggests it may try to do both. Since its start as the multimedia portion of the SXSW Film Festival in 1994, the event -- which runs Friday through Tuesday -- has its roots in community-driven tech creativity. But in the last five years, the festival has grown

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Review: New iPad neither dud nor 'revolution'

CNN's John Sutter gets his hands on a new iPad at Wednesday's launch event The fundamentals of the device haven't changed much You have to look at the guts of the tablet to see what's new Games will like a faster processor in the new iPad San Francisco (CNN) -- On first glance, the new, never-to-be-actually-named iPad is exactly the same as its predecessor: Same size, same price, same colors. But guts count for something. And the guts of the new iPad -- don't you dare call it iPad 3 -- are what make this tablet computer a step forward from the iPad 2. They're also what give Apple execs some room to claim this device as "amazing" and "revolutionary," rather than run-of-the-mill and incremental. The truth is that the new Apple iPad prob

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Online missteps spreading faster than ever

Thanks to social media, missteps and misinformation get repeated more quickly than ever Singer Chris Brown posted profane tweets after the Grammys, then deleted them A story about a banker leaving a 1% restaurant tip went viral before it was revealed a hoax Mistakes online can be fixed quickly, but not before damage is done (CNN) -- You probably heard the story. It is, after all, so last week. A wealthy banker goes out to lunch with a colleague. The banker disdainfully leaves a 1% tip on a $133 bill with the message, "Get a real job." The colleague, who runs a blog called "Future Ex-Banker," takes a picture of the receipt, which then goes viral -- first on Eater.com, then on Twitter and Facebook, soon everywhere (including CNN). It was a hoax, however, though it took a few days before the restaurant found proof the original receipt had been Photoshopped. By that time, despite some disclaimers along the way, the bill had become water-cooler gospel and left outrage in its wake. So it goes on the Internet, where errors, mistakes and knee-jerk reactions can be let loose at the click of a button. CNN Photos: Our mobile addiction This receipt that supposedly proves a banker left a server a 1% tip? Faked. Sure, it's been that way since your grandmother e-mailed you the story about the Nieman-Marcus chocolate-chip cookie recipe. But in an incre

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Why the interest in illegal cell-phone jammers?

Philadelphia bus rider spurs interest in cell phone jammers Local TV station interviews man "taking the law into his own hands" to quiet cell talkers Experts say people using the devices could jam police, other communications, too Still, jammers from $40 to more than $1,000 can be found online (CNN) -- Fancy gadgets that can be used to jam cell phone signals are illegal and potentially dangerous, experts say. So, why was Google lighting up Monday with people searching for them? You can thank a guy in Philadelphia who got fed up with folks yakking during his daily bus ride and

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What to expect from the iPad 3

Apple is expected to unveil its newest iPad on Wednesday Speculation is that it will have a higher-resolution display and a better camera The voice-activated Siri "personal assistant" also may be on board If it's not an iPad? It might be Apple TV, (but it's probably an iPad) (CNN) -- When Apple holds a press event Wednesday, everyone who's paying attention expects to see the much-anticipated iPad 3. The latest version of the device that virtually defined the tablet market after its introduction in 2010, the iPad 3 will arrive at a time when competitors are beginning to put up a bit of a fight. Amazon made a splash with its simpler, cheaper Kindle Fire over the holidays, and rival bookseller Barnes & Noble has countered with its popular Nook Tablet. The Acer Iconia A500 offers more memory than the iPad 2, while other companies have begun flooding the market with devices that are smaller and cheaper than Apple's standard-bearer. And, just this week, Microsoft rolled out its Windows 8 operating system for tablets, suggesti

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What to expect from the iPad 3

Apple is expected to unveil its newest iPad on Wednesday Speculation is that it will have a higher-resolution display and a better camera The voice-activated Siri "personal assistant" also may be on board If it's not an iPad? It might be Apple TV, (but it's probably an iPad) (CNN) -- When Apple holds a press event Wednesday, everyone who's paying attention expects to see the much-anticipated iPad 3. The latest version of the device that virtually defined the tablet market after its introduction in 2010, the iPad 3 will arrive at a time when competitors are beginning to put up a bit of a fight. Amazon made a splash with its simpler, cheaper Kindle Fire over the holidays, and rival bookseller Barnes & Noble has countered with its popular Nook Tablet. The Acer Iconia A500 offers more memory than the iPad 2, while other companies have begun flooding the market with devices that are smaller and cheaper than Apple's standard-bearer. And, just this week, Microsoft rolled out its Windows 8 operating system for tablets, suggesti

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What to expect from the iPad 3

Apple is expected to unveil its newest iPad on Wednesday Speculation is that it will have a higher-resolution display and a better camera The voice-activated Siri "personal assistant" also may be on board If it's not an iPad? It might be Apple TV, (but it's probably an iPad) (CNN) -- When Apple holds a press event Wednesday, everyone who's paying attention expects to see the much-anticipated iPad 3. The latest version of the device that virtually defined the tablet market after its introduction in 2010, the iPad 3 will arrive at a time when competitors are beginning to put up a bit of a fight. Amazon made a splash with its simpler, cheaper Kindle Fire over the holidays, and rival bookseller Barnes & Noble has countered with its popular Nook Tablet. The Acer Iconia A500 offers more memory than the iPad 2, while other companies have begun flooding the market with devices that are smaller and cheaper than Apple's standard-bearer. And, just this week, Microsoft rolled out its Windows 8 operating system for tablets, suggesti

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The scariest tech trend of 2012?

Cashmore: Breakout trend at SXSW this month may be "ambient social networking" Apps would automatically share info about you with nearby people in your networks Privacy is becoming an issue as more apps allow people to broadcast their location The social nature of photo-sharing app Instagram also may make it a favorite at SXSW (CNN) -- It's just over a week until one of the biggest geek gatherings of the year, South By Southwest Interactive, kicks off in Austin, Texas. SXSW is where fledgling tech comp

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