Tech Supply Shortages Loom After Japan Earthquake

Consumers could be looking at higher prices on televisions, PCs and phones in the wake of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan last Friday.

Use Your Phone to Pay for That Dress, Courtesy Google

You’re wrapping up dinner at your favorite restaurant, but how do you reply to the maître d’ who hands you the bill and asks “paper, plastic, or semiconductor”?

Mobile World Congress: Phone and Tablet News Roundup

The Mobile World Congress expo is underway in Barcelona, Spain. It’s truly a psycho-erotic thrill ride of cell phone and tablet news, some of which pertains to the U.S., some of which doesn’t, and all of which gushes forth uncontrollably until everyone goes home.

Facebook Phones Run On Android, Heading to U.K.

The once-rumored Facebook phone is coming (and it’s actually two phones). As the most recent rumors correctly indicated, the handsets come from London-based INQ Mobile and are “the result of close collaboration with Facebook,” according to the company’s press release.

Technologizer

Eye-Fi’s Upcoming Fix for the Disconnected Camera Blues

My TIME.com Technologizer column this week is about camera phones and traditional digital cameras. I love ‘em both. But I’m frustrated by the fact that conventional cameras–which still take the best photos–remain some of the least Internet-savvy gadgets around. (As I say in the piece, most people still get photos off a camera and onto [...]

Google Voice Number Porting Feature Looms Over Landlines

A warning shot across the bow of old-school landline telephone service sounds something like this:

Is The First ‘Facebook Phone’ About To Make An Appearance?

You may recall that back in September, some rumors were being bandied about concerning Facebook making its own phone.

Dell Streak 5-inch Tablet to US in July, Priced at $500 Unlocked

The 5-inch Dell Streak—a large phone or a small tablet, depending how you see the world—goes on sale tomorrow in Europe and has gotten a more firm release date here in the US. What was once “summer” is now “July” and the device will sell directly from Dell for $500.

They Should Make It: Cheap Smartphones, Free Service

Hear me out, hear me out. I’m not just calling for cheap smartphones and free service because I’m cheap (I am cheap). Rather, I think a company like, oh, let’s use Google as an example, could provide a viable alternative to expensive phones and even more expensive cell phone plans.

Would You Dump Your Mobile Voice Plan If You Could?

The New York Times cited a statistic yesterday stating that 2009 was the first year that mobile data from texting, e-mailing, and internet usage “surpassed the amount of voice data in cellphone calls.”

Microsoft Outlines Windows Phone 7 Development Details

Microsoft is slowly (slooooowly) making its way back into the mobile phone arena with the impending Windows Phone 7 initiative. It’s seriously like the guy who waits until 10:59:59 to check out of a hotel. Apple, Google, and even Palm are halfway to Albuquerque and Microsoft hasn’t even showered yet.