The Internet and mobile devices were instrumental in allowing protesters and activists to organize and even topple oppressive regimes in 2011. Global media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders called out several countries that attempted to stifle its citizens by blocking Internet access in its “Enemies of the Internet” report on Monday, but protesters may not have to rely on traditional land-based or even wireless Internet service providers in the future. Read on for more. (more…)

Vonage on Wednesday unveiled a new mobile app for the iPhone and Android smartphones that affords free calling and messaging along with cheap international calling rates. Vonage Mobile allows users to make free “high-definition” voice over IP calls among each other over Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G data connections, and low-cost calls can also be placed through the app to any landline or cell phone globally. The New Jersey-based Telco says its international calling rates are 70% lower than rates from major ca...

The most popular and successful multi-device communication platform is without question WhatsApp. More of a text messaging replacement than straight BlackBerry Messenger competitor, WhatsApp has been the number one service people rely on to communicate across iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone devices. We were sent a preview copy of the new version of WhatsApp for BlackBerry smartphones, our exclusive first look is after the break. (more…)

We’ve been big fans of WhatsApp’s cross-platform messaging service ever since it first launched, and directly outside of Apple’s own iMessage or RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger service, WhatsApp is our favorite mobile solution. We’re apparently not the only ones who think so, as WhatsApp just told us that the company is now delivering more than 1 billion messages each day, a huge milestone. Here’s a quote from WhatsApp team:The mobile messaging market is moving, choices around p...

BlackBerry users in Africa, the Middle East and Europe have been without service since 11:00 a.m. Monday, The Telegraph reports. A bug on Research In Motion’s server in Slough, England is to blame and it appears to have impaired all users, independent of carrier or device. RIM has not issued a statement on the matter. “There is an issue with BlackBerry services at present,” a T-Mobile UK representative said on Twitter. “RIM [is] investigating this at present.” Additionally, Bate...

We’ve already seen an 11-minute walk-through video comparing a new Windows 8 beta tablet to an iPad 2 running iOS 5, but there are plenty of features Microsoft is cooking up that didn’t make it into the beta release of the OS. In a new video, Microsoft highlights a handful of currently unavailable applications that make use of the oft-praised Metro user interface Windows 8 borrowed from the Windows Phone platform. In the video, Microsoft shows off several apps including Mail, Calendar, People, Me...

Samsung is set to make a big splash with new products during the IFA trade show in Berlin, which kicks off later this week, and the phone maker recently announced a new group text application called ChatOn. The application allows Android, iOS, BlackBerry and bada users to create groups to quickly send and receive group text messages. The service will no doubt compete with BBM, Apple’s iMessage, Google’s Huddle, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and GroupMe, but Samsung is trying to distinguish itself f...

AT&T will stop offering its 1,000 text message package on August 21st and will instead only offer customers a $20 individual unlimited option and a $30 family unlimited plan, Engadget reported on Wednesday. The carrier’s official statement, provided to BGR via email, is as follows:Starting August 21, we’re streamlining our text messaging plans for new customers and will offer an unlimited plan for individuals for $20 per month and an unlimited plan for families of up to five lines for $30 per ...

After spending three days with iOS 5 on multiple devices now, I can confidently say that this is the mobile operating system to beat. It gives you just enough of what was missing, while still remaining solid (“closed” — a.k.a. fast, responsive, apps that don’t steal your data, etc). There have definitely been some slowdowns in daily usage due to the fact that the OS is in beta, and battery life has no doubt taken a hit, but this isn’t meant to be used on consumer devices. And even wi...

After two days of use with Apple’s brand new iOS 5 on both an iPhone 4 and iPad 2, I can confidently say that iOS 5 has not only added much-needed features and enhancements, but has pushed Apple’s mobile operating system even further out into the lead ahead of competitors. What’s incredible is that Apple’s first beta release of iOS 5 for developers already runs better than any production BlackBerry or Android OS phone, and in daily use, I haven’t had any major issues at all with...

I’ve been using iOS 5 on my primary iPhone 4 since it was made available to developers yesterday around 5:00 p.m. This is the most solid iOS beta Apple has ever released, so far. What’s even more impressive is that Apple seems to have fixed every single gripe I’ve had with the platform. Little things that drove me insane that were available on other mobile operating systems — like setting a default calendar notification time so you can quickly go into the calendar app, jot down the meeting...

The brood over at PreCentral have managed to acquire a leaked copy of HP’s webOS 3.0 beta 1 software development kit (SDK). Why is this a good thing? Because contained within said SDK rests a TouchPad, webOS 3.0 emulator, of course. While emulators only provide 50% of the TouchPad story — the other half being hardware — it is useful to get a high-level overview of what user interface will look like. If you want to whet your appetite for this summers TouchPad release, hit the jump. There’s an...

Android enthusiast blog Android Central has revealed that the rumored Samsung Replenish will soon launch from Sprint. Details on the Replenish are still slim, but the above screen shot mentions it is a “green” device powered by Android. The blog claims that the phone will be announced on April 15th and land in Sprint stores by May 5th. It’s possible that this device could replace, or is, the Samsung Rant 3, which we’ve heard is a 3G touchscreen messaging device with an eco-friendly sol...

As tech writers we get to play with a ton of phones, but nothing really takes us back to our high school days like playing with a Sidekick — and we just had a chance to sit down with the first one powered by Android. Built by Samsung, the Sidekick 4G features Android 2.2 (Froyo) and, despite our initial fears that it would be a lackluster device compared to the high-end beauties recently announced, we were pretty pleased with what the Sidekick 4G offers. It includes a horizontal-slider form factor, a throwb...