While several companies are jumping on the smartwatch bandwagon, it’s not clear who exactly is buying these wearable picture-taking, texting, time-telling machines. Or, for that matter, if this wearable fad is here to stay. A study released Thursday by consumer analytics firm On Device Research and telecoms analyst firm CCS Insight shows that many people …

Best Buy is offering a deal on certain Apple and Samsung smartphones this weekend. Basically, all shoppers willing to buy the devices in-store will get a free $50 gift card from the big box retailer. The gift card can go toward buying any model of Apple’s new iPhone 5C or certain Samsung Galaxy smartphones, including the Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note …

After selling out in less than 24 hours a couple of weeks ago, Motorola’s Moto X developer edition smartphone is now back in stock. Google’s vice president of product management at Motorola Mobility Punit Soni announced on his Google+ page on Monday that the sought-after versions of the phone are once again available. “We should have enough in stock now …

Best Buy announced Thursday that Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch will be up for preorder on Friday. It will be one of the only retailers to carry all six colors of the device. Samsung announced the Galaxy Gear earlier this month at the IFA show in Berlin. The device has hit some countries around the world already and will be available …

The US is on the cusp of major change when it comes to flying in airplanes: no more turning off devices during takeoff and landing. The Federal Aviation Administration advisory committee said Thursday that it was recommending dropping this age-old rule, according to the Associated Press. The committee said that personal electronic devices, like smartphones, tablets, and e-readers, shouldn’t have …

The man behind the consortium offering to buy out BlackBerry and take it private offered some insight into the deal on Wednesday. Fairfax Financial Holdings CEO Prem Watsa told Reuters that he believes the consortium will be able to come up with the money needed to pay for the $4.7 billion bid. “We wouldn’t put our name to such a …

Apple fanboys and Samsung believers aren’t going to like this: Google’s Moto X has been crowned the king of durability. The latest “breakability” score by protection plan company SquareTrade claims Moto X is the best surviving smartphone when it comes to drops, slides, and water dunks. Coming in second place is Apple’s iPhone 5S, then Apple’s iPhone 5C, and lastly …

Word had it that Nokia was unwrapping its big-screened Lumia 1520 smartphone on September 26, but new reports say the device most likely won’t be debuted until mid-October, according to The Verge. The 6-inch Windows Phone has popped up in various photos leaked online, but Nokia has kept mum on all information about the device. Code-named Bandit, the 1520 will …

As smartphones become more widespread, so does Internet use on cell phones. According to a new report from Pew Research Center, 63 percent of US adult mobile phone owners use their devices to go online, which is double the amount of cell Internet usage since 2009. And not only are more people surfing the Web and checking e-mail from their …

As a slew of new tablets were announced over the last few days, data shows that tablet shipments will soon surpass those of personal computers. A report by research firm IDC predicts that for the first time more tablets will be shipped in the fourth quarter of 2013 than PC shipments; and, by 2015, annual tablet shipments will top PC …