Corporate and legal

Verizon partners with JLo's Viva Movil to target Latinos

LAS VEGAS -- Verizon Wireless is teaming up with actress and singer Jennifer Lopez to better address the growing Hispanic market.

On Wednesday the company announced a partnership with Viva Movil, a new brand created by Lopez to capitalize on the fastest growing demographic in the U.S.

"This new company is here to revolutionize the entire mobile experience for Latinos," said Lopez. "There's no specific place for Latinos to be specifically catered to. We will continuously evolve the wireless shopping experience with Verizon Wireless's guidance and support."

Lopez, who will serve as chief … Read more

Walmart exec: Mobile can revive personal touch for shoppers

LAS VEGAS -- Walmart believes smartphones can deliver the same kind of personalized service that founder Sam Walton embraced with his first store.

Where e-commerce brought the store to the Web, smartphones are bringing the Web to physical stores, with each consumer able to access data from their phones, according to Gibu Thomas, head of mobile for Walmart.

"The future of retail is the history of retailing," he said during a keynote address at the CTIA Wireless trade show on Wednesday. "It's about a personalized experience for each shopper delivered through the smartphone."

Critics fear … Read more

Penguin settles state e-book pricing suits for $75M

Penguin has agreed to pay $75 million to settle e-book pricing lawsuits filed by many states and private class plaintiffs, bringing an end to the long-running complaints in the U.S.

The settlement would resolve claims filed by 33 state attorneys general against Penguin, as well as class-action lawsuits filed by consumers who alleged the company's behavior violated unfair competition laws and caused consumers to overpay for e-books.

Along with the $75 million in damages, Penguin also agreed to pay costs and fees related to the claims and abide by the same "injunctive relief" as in its … Read more

GM exec: Apps coming to select cars later this year

LAS VEGAS -- General Motors is eager to get its slice of the app pie.

Mary Chan, head of the global connected consumer unit for GM, told CNET that apps would come to select cars in the second half. The initial set of apps will be per-determined by the company, will be available for download, and will make up the early stages of its in-car app store. More importantly, GM will also debut an app framework in these cars that will enable the download of future apps.

With the proliferation of the app market in mobile devices, GM -- and … Read more

Want the ZTE Grand S? Americans on hold until 2014

LAS VEGAS -- ZTE's quest to launch a flagship smartphone in the U.S. has hit a temporary snag.

The ZTE Grand S, one of the more impressive smartphones shown off at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, won't arrive here until next year, Lixin Cheng, head of the company's North American division, told CNET on Tuesday.

ZTE had grand plans for its Grand phone, and the company said in January that it was confident that the flagship device would make its way to U.S. shores soon. Cheng attributed the delay to the extra time needed … Read more

Windows that double as cell signal boosters? Yes, please

LAS VEGAS -- Windows that only let in sunlight and provide a view to the outside world? That's so yesterday's news.

Ericsson believes it can do more with windows, and it had on display here a few windows enhanced with different modifications. One had a transparent cellular antenna embedded in the glass, potentially improving smartphone reception. Another was outfitted with infrared sensors around the frame, allowing it to detect swipes and taps. … Read more

Clearwire board OKs Sprint's revised, $3.40/share bid

Just a day after Sprint upped its bid to acquire Clearwire, the latter's board has said that it's the right deal for the company.

In a statement released Wednesday, Clearwire's board announced that it has approved the new deal with Sprint. The board has also asked shareholders to vote in favor of the acquisition when they meet to place their ballots on May 31.

Sprint made a surprising announcement Tuesday, saying that it would up its initial offer to buy the remaining 50 percent of Clearwire that it doesn't own from $2.97 per share to $… Read more

HTC executive exodus now includes Asia CEO

HTC executives are departing a company that's facing strong challenges in the mobile market.

Our colleagues at CNET Asia this morning reported that HTC Asia CEO Lennard Hoornik has left the handset maker after an absence of two months during which he was "on leave," and there's no word on where he is headed.

That departure continues an unsettling trend for HTC. Chief product officer Kouji Kodera, who led HTC's general product strategy, left last week, according to The Verge. Vice president of global communications Jason Gordon recently exited the company after a seven-year stint. … Read more

Verizon's CTIA event: Join us Wednesday, 11 a.m. PT (live blog)

LAS VEGAS -- What does Verizon Wireless have up its sleeve?

Verizon is one of the few companies opting for a splashy press conference at the CTIA Wireless, which officially kicked off today. As such, it's essentially headlining what is expected to be a quiet show this year.

The company is holding its press conference on Wednesday at 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern). CNET's Jessica Dolcourt, Kent German, and I will bring you all the live news, photos, and commentary starting about 30 minutes before the event.

Join CNET for live coverage of Verizon's CTIA event at 11 a.m. PT on Wednesday. … Read more