Stories by Mark Sullivan

Google launches Android 2.1, sells phones direct

Google today announced the Nexus One, a new HTC phone that showcases the latest version of the Android mobile operating system--Android 2.1. Google also announced today a new smartphone marketplace where consumers can buy phones and service plans, and get setup and support information for Android devices.

AT&T Wireless CEO Hints at 'Managing' iPhone Data Usage

AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega bemoaned the disproportionate wireless bandwidth usage of iPhone users in a speech to wireless industry professionals here today, and hinted at an unpleasant way of dealing with the problem.

The funniest people on Twitter: A top 10

For a few weeks now, I've been compiling a list of people who are consistently funny on Twitter. I consulted friends and followers, fellow journalists, existing "Funny People on Twitter" lists (there are many), and even a few of my comedian friends. What I found were a lot of "funny" Tweeters who are consistently self-deprecating, angry (sorry @LouisCK), self-promoting (sorry @joelmchale), needy, or rude (sorry @sarahsilverman), but not consistently funny.

First 4G Android-based smartphone may arrive in '10

After talking to wireless carriers, handset makers and analysts here, I believe we'll be seeing an Android smartphone (possibly made by Samsung) and sold by Sprint next year. Sprint openly confirms plans to sell a 4G smartphone next year, but is quiet on the maker of the phone and the mobile OS.

Neuromancer at 25: What it got right and wrong

The tantalizing question about William Gibson's ideas in his novel Neuromancer involves their relationship with the course that the Web took and continues to take as Neuromancer's publication date--July 1, 1984, 25 years ago today--recedes farther into the past. In his afterword to the 2000 re-release of the book, novelist Jack Womack suggests that Neuromancer may have directly influenced the way the Web developed--that it may have provided a blueprint that developers who grew up with the book consciously or subconsciously followed. Womack asks "what if the act of writing it down, in fact, brought it about?"

Facebook 'pick five' lists: The hottest and the wildest

As Facebook has rocketed to its current position as the most popular social networking destination on the Web, some people have wondered whether there would be enough things for all of those millions of users to do once they arrived. That remains to be seen over the long term.

The 11 stupidest moments in tech for 2008

Tech is overflowing with creative and hypermotivated people who do a lot of pretty incredible things. But they can be counted on to do some pretty silly things, too--which is lucky for us, since high-profile pratfalls are part of what makes this industry fun to watch. Certainly 2008 had no shortage of silly goings-on. Caught up in the Christmas spirit (and spirits), I'll toast 11 of my favorite flights of industry foolishness from the past year, and match each with a fresh Brandy and Egg Nog. So this list is sure to get more insightful and coherent as we go along.

91 incredibly useful and interesting Web sites

Even as the Web has become more entertaining -- and certainly better looking -- over the past 15 years, it has also become much more useful and practical, as the 100 sites in this feature will demonstrate.

Healthy and happy: 9 sites for fitness and travel

As we get older, we realize what a surprisingly big part of our happiness simple fitness and health habits play. A growing number of sites help people to manage their diet, exercise, and health issues, and give them a way to rap with others doing the same. Following are the best health sites we know of.

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