Reports indicate Microsoft is planning a smaller Surface tablet for later this year. It won’t be the first though: Remember UMPCs? The idea was sound, but the interface and hardware weren’t; two things that Microsoft can easily fix now. Read more »
Photographers have long relied on RAW images — the actual image data from a camera sensor. But the web doesn’t work with RAW images. Or does it? Pics.io has a browser-based tool where RAW images on Google Drive can be viewed or edited. Read more »
The trend of larger screens on flagship Android phones shows no signs of stopping. At some point, however, one has to wonder how big “too big” is. At this rate, could Android smartphones outgrow their user base as one-handed phone use disappears? Read more »
Intel and ZTE announced a strategic collaboration last month and already have a new product. The ZTE Geek smartphone uses Intel’s latest Atom chip promising more speeds and better battery life. With a foothold in China, Intel isn’t out of the mobile game yet. Read more »
Launchers are nothing new to Android, having been around for a few years now. That’s why I’m not surprised a Facebook Home style launcher is already available in the Google Play store. Read more »
As 3D printer prices keep dropping, I’m interested. But, I have zero experience with design software. Photon, a relatively low-priced 3D scanner, might be just the right solution: With a laser, it scans objects in 3 minutes and creates the software design automatically. Read more »
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 Android tablet arrives in the US on April 11. The slate is poised to compete against Apple’s iPad mini and includes Samsung’s digital S-Pen. Early reviews suggest, however, that $399 is too much, even with the note-taking feature. Read more »
Google prepped developers on how to create rich, actionable notifications in Chrome for web apps back in February. Now, the supporting code is in the browser for Windows and Chrome OS devices. Is Google Now next? Read more »
The Linkase for iPhone 5 boasts up to a 50 percent boost in Wi-Fi signal strength thanks to a small electromagnetic waveguide extension. Does it work? See for yourself in these mobile speedtests where Wi-Fi is usually terrible. Read more »
Podcast directories are a dime a dozen, but Podcast Gallery is a new one that’s well worth a look. The web service integrates with Dropbox and Google Drive to save podcasts, plus you can use any browser to view or listen to episodes. Read more »
HTC has had another rough quarter financially, but the delayed HTC One isn’t the problem. HTC hasn’t been a shining star for months; it’s now just a dim light in Samsung’s galaxy. Read more »
This week Facebook became the next tech giant to build upon Google Android. That raises quite a few questions — and some potential answers — about privacy, control over Android and who might use Facebook Home as their full-time Android launcher. Read more »
Got browser tabs that don’t seem to retain their data in Chrome OS? The problem is annoying, particularly if you open and close numerous tabs during a session. This one command line is a big help to reduce the issue. Read more »
Most of what we’ve seen from Google’s Project Glass is after fact, not while the connected glasses are actually in use. This demonstration offers a glimpse of the Glass user experience and how developers should design for it. Read more »
Starting April 12, you can get the HTC First from AT&T: An LTE, Android 4.1 phone with Facebook Home as your launcher. AT&T hasn’t provided many specs, but some nosing around on the HTC site yielded quite a few. Read more »
Facebook didn’t quite unveil its own phone, but you can make your Android phone a Facebook phone with a custom launcher. The question now is: will you? Read more »
We’ll have live coverage of Facebook’s Android event here, with a new Facebook-centered experience expected running on an HTC smartphone. Read more »
Could any other cloud storage services get integrated into Google’s Chrome OS or will Google Drive be it? Others could be added if this feature enhancement request is approved and coded. Read more »
There’s both good and bad in Google’s news that it would be forking WebKit to create the Blink rendering browser engine. It really comes down to motive: Is it just for speed of development or for more control over web standards? Read more »
We’re covering Facebook’s Android event live here, with a new Facebook-centered experience expected running on an HTC smartphone. Read more »
While the Chrome browser takes full advantage of the Chromebook Pixel’s hardware, I thought it would interesting to see how video gaming works on the device. Quite well, with just a few small issues, it turns out. Read more »
AT&T previously announced it would sell the Samsung Galaxy S 4 for $249.99 with contract. But which model is that? Turns out it’s a 32 GB version, while a 16 GB edition can be had for $199.99 with contract. Read more »
A new software update for Jawbone’s Big Jambox brings several performance improvements. Only iOS 6.1 devices will get one of the biggest though: two extra hours of battery life on the wireless speaker. Read more »
It’s about time Google’s Nexus 7 tablet gets a refresh and sources tell Reuters it will happen in July. Here’s what to expect in terms of pricing and hardware changes. Read more »
Got 20 minutes to spare on your commute or at work? Why not tune in to this week’s call in podcast where we answer your tech questions. Plenty of Chromebook tips on this week’s show as well as thoughts on the Facebook phone. Read more »
In October, I suggested that more than half of all Android devices would run Android 4.0 or better within four to six months. My time was just about up, but it happened as planned. That’s good for developers and for end users. Read more »
There’s little doubt that Facebook will unveil a new phone on Thursday, but the star of the show will be software, not hardware, in this battle between Facebook and Google for user engagement. Read more »
Now that we have 1080p smartphones, its likely that screen sizes will get even bigger because of the high pixel densities. Samsung may continue leading that charge with a 5.8- and 6.3-inch smartphone says SamMobile’s sources. Read more »
AT&T does have an exclusive, at least at time of launch, on the 64 GB HTC One smartphone. The carrier announced a contract price of $299 for that model, while $199 buys a 32 GB version. Pre-ordering earns a free wireless HDMI adapter. Read more »
A reported leak of the software that will power Facebook’s upcoming phone shows specs of the handset as well as capabilities of what appears to be a dedicated Facebook home screen for Android devices. Read more »
Got a great design idea? If you’re a student at Virginia Tech, you can create it using the DreamVendor: a free-to-use kiosk that houses four 3-D printing units. Read more »
An AT&T promotional video for the new HTC One smartphone shows an exclusive: Only AT&T will carry the 64 GB model of the phone. That may be good for AT&T, but it’s bad for consumers and for HTC. Read more »
Nearly every Chromebook Pixel review says you shouldn’t buy one. But as someone who took a 60-day web-only challenge in 2008, I’m ready for exactly what the Pixel offers, so I bought one. Read more »
AT&T may be the first in the U.S. to offer Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 phone, but it won’t come cheaply: The carrier starts taking pre-orders on April 16 for the $249.99 (with contract) handset. Read more »
BlackBerry’s subscriber numbers are down again but more sales of phones with higher average selling prices helped the company turn a profit in the most recent fiscal quarter. Read more »
Heading out of the country with your Android phone? Consider upgrading to the latest version of Google Translate for Android, which now supports offline language translation. Read more »
Here’s a clever idea: Piggyback the installation of connected, smart utility meters with free Wi-Fi service for outdoor use. That’s exactly what the City of Santa Clara is doing. Read more »
On this week’s mobile call in podcast, we recap all of the T-Mobile news: no contracts, the iPhone 5 and a new LTE network. Then we hit your questions about running Linux on a Chromebook and which is the best keyboard for Android. Read more »
T-Mobile may have focused on finally getting the iPhone 5 at its UnCarrier press event, but the company also let slip that the Galaxy S 4 is coming around May 1 for the same $99 down plus monthly payments over time. Read more »
After building up its HSPA+ network for several years, T-Mobile has finally lit up its LTE network, with initial service offerings in 7 markets, along with several devices that can use it: Including the iPhone 5. Read more »
