Michelle Megna

Nokia today acquired Plum, a small company that created a platform for private social networks in a move seen as part of its transformation from wireless device maker to mobile service provider. “Plum will complement Nokia’s Social Location services. The acquired Plum assets will become part of Nokia’s Services unit,” is all Nokia (NYSE:NOK) said […]

Time Inc. wants a slice of the burgeoning e-reader market, though it remains to be seen exactly how the magazine publishing giant will go about it. After an [internal document was leaked to a news outlet](http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/tech/Time-Inc-Time-for-a-New-E-Reader-58563707.html), reports circulated speculating that the company may be considering offering an e-reader device by the end of the year. […]

Apple is likely to extend its exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T, despite an investigation by the Feds and the increasing strain on their relationship due to a bumpy patch during the iPhone 3GS launch, according to a report issued today. Based on an analysis of wireless technology deployed, research firm iSuppli believes Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) […]

Google has super-sized the search box on its homepage and increased the size of the text to help make queries easier to see. “The new, larger Google search box features larger text when you type so you can see your query more clearly,” Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president for search products and user experience, said […]

For Apple, it appears breaking up with the Palm Pre is easy to do. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) yesterday released iTunes 9, which includes a new store interface and other enhancements — along with a renewed effort to block syncing with the Palm Pre, according to Pre community blogs and forums. The update marks the second […]

Palm Pixi. Click to enlarge. Source: Palm Palm today introduced the Pixi, the second handset powered by the company’s webOS mobile software, as an entry-level QWERTY smartphone that will run on Sprint’s network. While the Pixi is slated to go on sale in the fourth quarter, Palm (NASDAQ: PALM) did not disclose further details of when the […]

Taiwan-based PC hardware maker Asus is prepping a budget-priced e-reader for release later this year — with the potential to take on more expensive devices from Amazon, Sony and Barnes & Noble. In addition to a low-cost device — being called the Eee Reader, according to reports — the plan also includes releasing a more […]

The makeover of Google’s mobile app store Android Market continues as the search giant is expected to expand payment options beyond its own online transaction service called Checkout. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is planning several updates for the Android Market to coincide with the imminent release of Android 1.6, though a company spokesman declined to comment […]

Internet payment service eBillme is aiming to help e-tailers tap into a new revenue stream — by introducing a walk-in service that allows online shoppers to pay with cash in person at participating locations. Online shoppers selecting “eBillMe Walk-In” during the checkout process on a Web site will be sent a bill from the company […]

Google today unveiled plans for updates to Android Market, the online store that sells mobile apps for handsets powered by the open source platform Android. “We will soon introduce new features in Android Market for Android 1.6 that will improve the overall experience for users,” Eric Chu, of Google’s Android mobile platform team, wrote in […]

Long sought-after Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) support is coming to the Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS by the end of the month, courtesy of a software update. That’s likely to be good news for critics, who have lambasted — and sued — AT&T over its lack of support for MMS — even though the feature […]

Nokia today issued a new set of APIs and an SDK aimed at spurring application development for its smartphones and devices as it embarks on a strategy to transform itself from a hardware maker into a full-fledged mobile services provider. The company today at its annual Nokia World conference in Germany showcased the Ovi SDK […]