TechBytes: Cell Phone Service Sliding

Feb. 19, 2010— -- A new study by JD Power and Associates finds wireless call quality has gotten worse in the past six months, with more dropped calls, static, and text messages that arrive hours late. So what's to blame? The explosion of smartphones, which stress networks with higher data usage for texting, emailing and web surfing.

Earlier this week Microsoft unveiled new software to power smartphones. Many experts say Windows Mobile 7 is Microsoft's last chance to be a major player in the industry, along with Apple, Google and Blackberry.

USA Today's Ed Baig says his first impressions are very positive. "I saw an early prototype and it really looks pretty cool. The interface is very different. And this is not just an iPhone wannabe. Microsoft really may be onto something with a really handsome interface based on these live, dynamic tiles," Baig said. He adds that the new operating system is much more focused on consumer, and not businesses, like it had been in the past. The new Windows mobile software won't be on any phones until late this year.

Amazon has released a new Kindle for Blackberry application. The app gives Blackberry users access to Amazon's catalog of more than 400,000 electronic books.The program syncs your Blackberry and Kindle so you don't lose your place when switching between devices. The Kindle app is free and currently works on seven different Blackberry models.

Some students in suburban Philadelphia are learning a tough lesson about trust. A family is suing the Lower Merion School District claiming it used the webcams in school issued laptops to spy on students at home. School officials say the feature that allows them to remotely turn on the webcams has been deactivated. Many students had already put tape on the cameras and microphones.