Topic: Personal Information Devices

Instagram: Zero sales. $1 billion price tag. Worth it?

Facebook plans to spend $1 billion for the photo-sharing company that is wildly popular but has no way of making revenue off of them. Here's why Facebook thinks Instagram is worth it.

Facebook, already rich off online ads, gears up for mobile adverts

More than half of Facebook users access the social network through a mobile device. And now Facebook could be close to rolling out a mobile advertising initiative. 

10 top etiquette tips for the social-media age

In his new book 'Social Q's,' columnist Philip Galanes offers suggestions for today's social quandaries.

Black Friday sales 2011: New record for mobile shopping?

Black Friday sales 2011 will lure 60 million consumers to shop with their mobile devices, a new study says. A third will make a mobile purchase during the weekend of Black Friday sales 2011.

Smartphones: Samsung avoids sales ban with switch

Smartphones from Samsung were banned in the Netherlands because of Apple patent dispute. So Samsung replaced the disputed feature in its smartphones, news report says.

Scarlett Johansson cellphone pictures aren't all that smart phone hackers are after

As more and more corporate and personal business is done via mobile devices and social media, it is more than Scarlett Johansson cell phone pictures that are being hacked.

5 Simple rules to protect yourself against phone hacking

The proliferation of mobile devices has created the perfect storm for cyberattacks. So, what is a smart-phone user to do to avoid being hacked?

Hurricane preparedness: 5 things you can do to keep safe

If you live on the East Coast, here's what you can do to protect your home and your loved ones.

Android smartphones get 'ecosystem supercharge' [VIDEO]

Android smartphones and their users can thank Google for splashing out $12.5 billion to buy Motorola Mobility along with all the patents they hold. The purchase will be Google's largest.

Patents: Google buys 1,000 of them from IBM

Patents buy is part of arms race for intellectual property. Google's purchase will help defend itself against patents litigation.

Americans want iPhone, buy Android

The iPhone remains the most desirable phone among North American consumers – as well as the most liked among current users.

Microsoft challenges competition with new phones, Windows 8 preview

In the second day of its Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft reveals new “Mango” handsets from Samsung and others. And new details about Windows 8 could raise excitement about Microsoft’s presence in the tablet market.

Facebook video chat, free of charge. Thanks, Skype.

Facebook video chat now comes baked into the social network. The announcement means that chatting "face-to-face" is now only a few clicks away.

Windows 8: Would you like the PC version? Or one of four mobile versions?

Windows 8 is set to ship in iterations for traditional desktops and for mobile devices.

Google I/O kicks off new music service, battles with Apple

At Google I/O, the company launched its new cloud music service. And as with Amazon, Google did so without much support from the music industry.

So, if your iPhone is spying on you, who benefits?

Reports that iPhones and Android phones track the owners' movements have revived privacy concerns. The list of who wants the data – from police to marketers – is potentially a long one.

Top 5 myths about starting a business

More Americans became entrepreneurs in the past two years than at any other time in the past 15 years, according to the Kauffman Foundation. But if you’re considering leaving your day job to take the leap into entrepreneurship, first learn the facts behind these Top 5 myths about starting a business:

Epsilon security breach: 5 signs it's only the tip of the iceberg

This week millions of e-mail addresses were reported stolen from Epsilon, a firm that supplies e-mail marketing to BestBuy, Disney, and many others. Here are five more emerging targets for precision attacks:

Less mobile Internet. Cheaper price. But a fair deal?

New federal rules allow Metro PCS to offer a low-cost plan that blocks access to popular websites on the mobile Internet. Critics say it's a breach of net neutrality.

GasBuddy and other apps map the cheapest gas

GasBuddy sends drivers to the stations with the cheapest gas as prices continue to rise.

Skype agrees to buy California based mobile video company, Qik

Internet calling company, Skype, announced its plans to buy the mobile video company, Qik, on Thursday.

Top 5 business deals of 2010 that hit your pocketbook

The past year has produced some of the most intriguing business deals of the decade, which boosted (or sunk) the fortunes of CEOs and shareholders alike. Perhaps the most relevant question, however, is what impact these transactions will have on consumers? Here are the Top 5 deals of 2010 that, for better or worse, will change the way you spend your money.

TSA screenings: What protections do you have?

Full-body scans and enhanced pat-downs have become America’s “primary screening” technique, but have also generated a rising tide of criticism for being too invasive. At each of the 68 major airports where the 385 new full-body scanners are in place, passengers will be directed to them, says Sarah Horowitz, spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Here's what to expect – and what protections you can demand:

Apple event brings MacBook Air, OS X Lion, and FaceTime for Mac

At its Oct. 20 event, Apple rolled out two new MacBook Air laptops, a slew of updates for its iLife suite, and a sneak peak at the next OS X upgrade, Lion.

This new coat of polish for Apple's computer line comes at a time of rapid growth for the Mac. In the last few years, Apple has transitioned from a computer company that made mobile devices to a mobile-device company that makes computers. Last quarter, Apple shipped 14.1 million iPhones, 4.1 million iPads, and just 3.89 million Macs. Still, Mac sales have grown 2.5 times faster than the rest of the PC industry, according to the company.

Wednesday's event tried to reassure Mac fans that the company stands firmly behind its computers, and convince mobile converts that many of the things they love about iPhones and iPad will soon appear in computers. Click the blue arrows to learn how.

The novelist who predicted the currency war

A bitingly funny and smart new novel describes the world we may be heading towards.