July 7 - 7:50am EDT   Cellphone maker LG today breathed life back into conventional phones with promises that it would launch a new Chocolate phone. Without providing many details at this early stage, the company vows the mystery device will be "minimalist" but won't involve a touchscreen, arguing that it will "maximize usability" with traditional controls. Teaser photos for the device hint at a bar or slider design with relatively upscale controls; historically, all Chocolate models have been sliders and usually emphasized music playback. [full story]

April 16 - 10:30am EDT   LG today said it has sold 2 million of the KM900 Arena since it went on sale in the first half of March. The tally includes the 1 million pre-orders leading up to the release and marks LG's fastest-selling phone to date; the original Chocolate music phone took 3 months to reach the 1 million mark. [full story]

October 27 - 8:55am EDT   Verizon today reported quarterly results that reveal the company's wireless business growing at a slower rate than AT&T. The carrier claims to have added 2.1 million net new customers but notes that about 630,000 of these came from the buyout of Rural Cellular earlier in the year, giving the company an actual growth rate of 1.5 million new customers versus AT&T's net 2.0 million without similar deals; about 120,000 of the Rural Cellular customers will have to leave due to an exchange deal. [full story]

June 11 - 9:45am EDT   Verizon on Wednesday responded in kind to the iPhone 3G with the unveiling of three new LG phones. The Dare is the second LG touchscreen phone at the US carrier but relies exclusively on its touch input rather than offering a hardware keyboard; it also represents a camera upgrade with a 3.2-megapixel sensor (up from 2.0) with better low-light handling and on-phone editing similar to the Viewty and other Europe-only phones. [full story]

June 2 - 9:05pm EDT   Fontainebleau resorts has announced that it is putting an iMac in every guest room "inspiring guests to share memories and encourages personal expression." Other resort features include Chef Alfred Portale at Gotham Bar and Grill, a Chinese restaurant featuring Michelin star-rated Cantonese cuisine a 5,000-square-foot "chocolate experience." Fontainebleau currently has locations in Miami Beach and Las Vegas. Room rates range from $200 to $900. Hotel chain City Inn previously announced that it was installing iMacs in every guest room, offering software that deletes any personal data from the machines before the guest leaves. [full story]

April 30 - 11:40am EDT   Three LG-made media phones will launch on Verizon soon, with a new touchscreen model set to appear near the anticipated launch of a next-generation iPhone, according to leaks and accompanying shots from Phone Arena. The LG Dare (also known as the VX9700) is now believed to take its cue from the normally Europe-only Prada and should represent an upgrade to the earlier device as well as a switch to Verizon's CDMA network: an enhanced 3.2-megapixel camera with a Schneider-Kreuznach lens should improve on the earlier model's photography. [full story]

April 24 - 8:40am EDT   As promised, LG this morning took the covers from its next phone in the Black Label series. The Secret (KF750) follows in the steps of the Chocolate and Shine, but focuses as much on its craftsmanship as it does on specifications. The slider design is partly made of carbon fiber that increases the strength of the phone body without affecting weight; tempered glass protects the LCD while also reportedly improving its image quality. A touch-sensitive navigation pad both adds to the upscale feel and also prevents broken buttons. [full story]

February 14 - 11:50am EST   LG is slated to provide updates to two of Verizon's more successful phones in the near future, according to a leak of photos and details. The pictured VX8610 is most likely to be a direct replacement for the current Chocolate (known as the VX8550) and will make the unusual move to a BlackBerry-like trackball in place of the jog wheel of the current phone or the directional pad of the original. LG's slider will also have the unusual addition of a detachable Bluetooth earpiece for hands-free calling without the need for a separate carrying case. [full story]

November 30 - 10:40am EST   Hoping to inject some further energy into its music phone line for the holidays, Verizon today rolled out its LG Chocolate Blue Ice. The new version is close in keeping to the spirit of the original version but comes in a more attention-getting light blue color that sets off the red trim lighting around the wheel and buttons, according to the cell carrier. It also includes darker blue accents around the keypad. [full story]