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Serdar Yegulalp

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  • Commentary

    Nine Things Smartwatches Need To Succeed

    April 15, 2013

    Apple, Samsung and Google are all rumored to be working on smartwatches. With all the buzz about these devices, it's hard to see the real use cases through the hype. Here are nine things we think any smartwatch worth its salt (and silicon) needs.

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  • Commentary

    Facebook Home: You Are the Product Being Sold

    April 05, 2013

    Once again, Facebook has found a new low. Facebook Home, their Android skin, is an attempt to grab hold of users and not let them go, to make them think that there is nothing out there but Facebook.

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  • Commentary

    AT&T’s New Data Plans Dissected

    March 21, 2013

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  • Commentary

    Samsung Galaxy S4 - Peak Smartphone?

    March 20, 2013

    It’s not about this smartphone or that. Most of the really inventive things we do with our devices come from software added either by the phone markers, users or by the value provided through network-based services.

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  • News

    Samsung Galaxy S 4: Visual Tour

    March 16, 2013

    Samsung's new Galaxy S 4 smartphone offers unique features to challenge Apple's iPhone. Take a closer look.

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  • Review

    Dropbox Alternative OwnCloud Uses Your Own Storage

    March 07, 2013

    ownCloud is already a powerful and useful alternative to Dropbox or other file-hosting services. Future revisions of this open source project promise to be even better.

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  • News

    HTC Claims "Best Phone Ever Made"

    February 19, 2013

    HTC aims high with their claims for their revamped Android smartphone. Like previous HTC phones this one is aimed at consumers with a focus on media consumption and other lifestyle features, like TV remote control. A shame it lacks microSD storage expansion.

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  • Review

    iPad Mini Keyboard Cover Makes A Better Tablet

    February 19, 2013

    The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Mini is an excellent addition to any iPad Mini, which provides not only a proper typing surface but a stand and a protective cover.

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  • Commentary

    FCC Spectrum Plan is Telco Carrier Nightmare

    February 04, 2013

    AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint are no doubt concerned about the FCC's plan to open up high-quality RF spectrum for free Internet access, but they shouldn't be too worried. Too many factors weigh against such spectrum resulting in actual free Internet access for the public.

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  • News

    Carrier Deals Fragment LTE Spectrum

    January 28, 2013

    AT&T, Verizon and other carriers use different ranges in the RF spectrum for LTE services. The recent deal between AT&T and Verizon illustrates the fragmentation of the LTE spectrum and the problems it creates for smooth operation of handsets.

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  • Commentary

    Samsung's New Weapon Against BlackBerry, iPhone: Fixmo?

    January 23, 2013

    Samsung Ventures has bought a stake in Fixmo, which sells MRM, or mobile risk management solutions. Their SafeZone product creates a separate, secure area on iOS or Android devices for confidential data and apps, similar in some ways to Good Technology's solutions. It's especially well-suited to a BYOD environment, where the company can't completely control and trust the device. The move may reinforce Samsung's SAFE program for security standards in Android devices.

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  • Review

    Satellite GPS Works Off Grid

    January 17, 2013

    The Delorme InReach is a combination GPS on steroids and satellite communications link for all those who go boldly where few others go, and want a way to track their movements and call for help if need be.

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  • Commentary

    2015: Apple Cachet Is Passé

    January 09, 2013

    It's CES in 2015: Apple's drive for market share has backfired and their brand has deteriorated as a result. They're still a big player and sell a lot of iPhones and iPads, but they're not a leader anymore.

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  • Commentary

    Google Drops 'F' Bomb on Developers

    January 07, 2013

    Changes in the EULA (End User License Agreement) for the Android SDK warn developers of doing anything that might result in the "fragmentation" of Android. As with so many of these agreements, ambiguity is rampant and designed to give the vendor — i.e. Google — the freedom to interpret circumstances to its own benefit. In fact, developers aren't the source of the fragmentation problem, Google's own handset OEM partners are.

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  • Commentary

    Ubuntu For Phones: Beautiful, Elegant, Doomed

    January 03, 2013

    How good could an UbuntuPhone really be? It can't possibly be unique enough and have enough of a value proposition to break into a market that's already dominated by big, powerful players.

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  • News

    Battery Life Boost Coming From New Antenna Tech

    December 31, 2012

    The amplifier for the data transmission on a mobile phone's antenna is the device's biggest power guzzler, wasting up to 65 percent of its juice through heat. Large increases in battery life may be coming soon through new technology designed to use power for data transmission more efficiently.

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  • Commentary

    QWERTY Keyboards Are Here To Stay

    December 12, 2012

    Alternative keyboards are voodoo ergonomics. If the keyboard is going to be killed by anything, it'll be by the one holy grail of user interfaces: A direct neural connection between the user and the computer, with all of the fascinating and scary possibilities offered through such a system. The things I'm confident it's not going to be killed by are touchscreens — or, for that matter, other kinds of keyboards.

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  • Commentary

    T-Mobile Ending Phone Subsidies: A Victory For Transparency

    December 07, 2012

    The traditional subsidized phone contract that has made mobile phones seem more affordable is in fact a convoluted scheme to maximize carrier money and leverage on the customer. T-Mobile's plan to switch to unlocked phones and a "Value" package, in which you pay for the phone in installments clearly spelled out on the bill, lets customers make clearer decisions.

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  • Review

    Skype For Android 3.0 Excels At Voice, Transfers

    November 21, 2012

    Skype for Android 3.0 improves voice quality and adds new tablet-specific features -- but requires the latest hardware and Android platform for the best results.

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  • Review

    Dazzling Screen In Supersized HTC Droid DNA

    November 16, 2012

    HTC's Droid DNA for Verizon doesn't have much in the way of business-oriented features and might be too big for some hands, but it's powerful, well-built, graced with a gorgeous 1080p screen, and priced right.

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  • News

    HTC Droid DNA Boast: 'Most Advanced Smart Phone'

    November 13, 2012

    Citing its high-end hardware, HTC says its new Droid DNA is the most advanced smart phone to hit the market yet, and the "ultimate" Droid.

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  • News

    CEA: Tablets And Smartphones Still King In 2013

    November 13, 2012

    As the markets for smart phones and tablets have grown, the markets for other consumer electronics products, such as dedicated GPS and point-and-shoot cameras, have eroded. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the real news in 2013 will be the market growth of UltraHD (4K) televisions and automotive products.

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  • Commentary

    Mobile Office: Partial Functionality Not Enough

    November 08, 2012

    The rumors are hot again that Microsoft will release an Office version for the iPad and iPhone, but all indications are that it will be little more than a document viewer, of which there are many already for iOS. Microsoft already has a far more capable Office Mobile for Surface, but even that is missing many important features, like editing Excel pivot tables and using Word revisions.

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  • Tips

    Verizon Wireless Waives Billing For Some Sandy Victims

    November 07, 2012

    Verizon says customers in parts of New York and New Jersey -- those affected by Hurricane Sandy -- won't be billed for domestic voice or text between Oct. 29 and Nov. 16.

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  • Commentary

    Crapware Lives On Windows 8

    November 02, 2012

    Windows 8 is a clean slate in many ways. But one scourge that is not gone is crapware, a.k.a. bloatware, junkware, trialware, and stupid games that drag down the performance and experience of so many Windows PCs. We asked Acer, Toshiba, Dell, Samsung and Lenovo what they preload on their Windows 8 systems. Some PCs are cleaner than others. The surprise? A Microsoft store might be the best place to buy.

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Bio

Serdar Yegulalp is Contributing Editor for BYTE. He has been a contributing editor to Windows Magazine and InformationWeek, and his insights into IT and consumer computing appear at The Champion Community, and in ComputerWorld, InfoWorld and many other publications. He also runs Genji Press, an independent science fiction / fantasy publishing imprint.

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