4G

Turn off the display and you can run Verizon's new iPad for 24 or more hours as a 4G LTE mobile hotspot.

Can you use your phone as your go-to connection for getting work done? Yes, but only if you're willing to pay serious monthly cash--or play a game of hide-and-seek with your carrier.

Here are all the problems with how smartphones handle Wi-Fi these days, and a few not-so-humble suggestions on how to fix them.

In 2011, the increasingly mobile and socially networked world of technology became more intertwined than ever with politics and the law. Patent wars shaped competition in tablets and smartphones, hacktivists attacked a widening array of political and corporate targets, repressive regimes unplugged citizens from the Internet, and the U.S. government moved to block the giant merger of AT&T and T-Mobile USA. With the passing of Steve Jobs, the world lost a technology icon who redefined the computer, entertainment and consumer electronics industries. These are the IDG News Service's picks for the top 10 technology stories of the year:

Wondering why there's still no iPhone 4G? Apple's difficulty in India might provide an answer.

Researchers at Rice Univ. say they've come up with a way to make data on cell-phone nets flow both ways by making each end of a connection deaf to its own 'voice.'

A new survey shows that many smartphone owners mistakenly think they own 4G devices.

Verizon this morning acknowledged that its 4G LTE network was not working for users across the US after reports trickled in overnight about a nationwide outage.

Satellite-LTE startup LightSquared has made a deal for national electronics retailer Best Buy to resell its service, LightSquared CEO and Chairman Sanjiv Ahuja said on Wednesday at the CTIA Wireless trade show.

Reports are rolling in that the data upload speeds on the Motorola Atrix 4G are disappointing--like slower than 3G smartphones on the AT&T network. AT&T has confirmed that the data speeds for the Atrix are not what they should be. So--what gives? Where's the blazing 4G speed?

Femtocell sales are exploding as users demand better cell coverage inside buildings; a new one makes supporting several carriers a lot easier.