Reprogramming the identification number of a cellphone could be punishable with a prison sentence of up to five years under the terms of a proposed law announced Friday.

SoftBank has received all the necessary state approvals for the Japanese mobile carrier to acquire a majority stake in Sprint Nextel for US$20 billion, the companies announced.

The U.S. government is in negotiations with SoftBank for greater control over equipment purchases by Sprint Nextel and the selection of one of the Japanese company's nominee to the U.S. carrier's board, according to a news report.

Should there by a change of government after the Australian elections in September, there will be a major review of National Broadband Network (NBN) operations and progress to date. The opposition has signalled personnel changes in the management and the board of NBN Co.

Unity Technologies has added the ability to develop for Android and iOS games for free using its platform.

Sprint Nextel has increased its offer to buy out Clearwire, bidding US$3.40 per share, to counter a competing offer by Dish Network.

Vodafone's revenue dropped 4.2 percent for its fiscal year to March 31, because of tough economic conditions, particularly in Southern Europe.

The European Union may be trying to protect its telecom equipment industry with its recent threat to investigate China over networking equipment imports. But the move could end up hurting the chances of Western vendors intent on supplying technology to China's upcoming 4G services launch, according to analysts.

Nokia's is rebooting its U.S. Windows Phone push with the arrival of the low-cost Lumia 521 on T-Mobile and Lumia 928 for Verizon Wireless, but increasing sales to meaningful volumes in the very competitive U.S. market will not be easy.

Operators and telecom equipment vendors are showing a growing interest in small cells, which aim to give users improved coverage and speeds.

More subscribers, networks with better coverage and devices that can be used in more countries are converging to make LTE roaming a more viable proposition, with some operators already offering such services on a limited scale and more on the way.

Microsoft made big bets on Windows 8, Windows Phone and Surface tablets in 2012, and now it needs to make those bets to pay off. As more consumers and businesses go mobile, 2013 will be Microsoft's most challenging year yet.

I blame the floppy disk. For years, it served as the icon for "save," clearly illustrating to the user that your data would be written to that flat square thing with the hole in it--a digital representation of hardware, guiding you to your intended goal. Clicking that icon would block the UI with an hourglass cursor, and reward you with the familiar grinding song of a floppy drive.

Every year since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 has been a big year for iOS, and 2012 is certainly no exception. Let's take a stroll down memory lane, recalling the year that was for the iPhone, the iPad, and the operating system that powers them both.

Android 'Jelly Bean,' Samsung's Notes, and Google's Nexuses finally delivered compelling capabilities as Apple stalled

Is there a new smartphone, tablet or computer in your life? These Computerworld stories can help you get acquainted with new OSes, find great apps and accessories, safely dispose of your old devices and more.