Microsoft Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled the new Lumia Cyan software update, a mix of Windows Phone 8.1 features and exclusive upgrades for the Lumia family, that will include new camera features and display settings. Lumia Cyan will start rolling out around the world starting Tuesday and will be available for all Windows Phone 8 Lumia …
Read More »
Mediatek MediaTek on Tuesday unveiled its most powerful mobile-computer processor to date, part of the Taiwan-based chipmaker’s push to get more of its offerings into high-end electronics. MediaTek has been able to grow by providing chips for mid- and low-cost smartphones and tablets, particularly in emerging markets. But, recently it has been looking to expand upmarket and into new areas, …
Read More »
Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Paul Sakuma/Feature Photo Service for IBM IBM and Apple said they have forged an enterprise pact where the two companies will collaborate on exclusive industry-specific applications built on iOS. The deal makes sense on many fronts. First, industry specific apps will lock down Apple’s iOS …
Read More »
The Pebble Steel is definitely more stylish than the original Pebble smartwatch, and thanks to its metal body and several design changes, it’s also easier to disassemble. Now playing: Watch this: Cracking Open: Pebble Steel 2:41 The Steel is a clear step up from the original Pebble watch in both design and construction. Its display is covered with Gorilla Glass, …
Read More »
Two iPhone 6 mock-ups, compared with the actual iPhone 5S on the left. Ciccarese Design Apple may have solved at least one challenge facing its much-rumored 5.5-inch iPhone 6. Unable to coax the right type of battery for the phone out of certain suppliers, Apple reportedly has discovered a white knight in the form of a company known as Simplo. …
Read More »
The Nokia Lumia 630. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Microsoft is apparently restricting the ability to set Google as the default search option on at least a couple of new Lumia phones, according to The Verge. The option doesn’t seem to affect most Lumia phones, at least those running Windows Phone 8.0, as users can still tweak a setting in the address bar …
Read More »
Tiyo comes to your rescue. Tiyo Once upon a time, people who went on blind dates arranged to have a friend call at a predetermined time. If the date wasn’t going well, that call would give you an excuse to claim an emergency had come up and you had to leave. This method required planning, forethought, and a willing friend. …
Read More »
Firebox Turn it up Scotty: with the “Star Trek: The Original Series” Phaser Universal Remote Control you’re in the Captain’s seat every time you watch TV. The phaser remote is built by the Wand Company, the people behind the “Harry Potter” wand and “Doctor Who” Sonic Screwdriver remotes that change channels with a flick of the wrist. Tour Florida’s pricey …
Read More »
Australians can now get Apple credit for their old iDevices.Image by Kenny Louie, CC BY 2.0 From today, Australians will be able to take their old iPhone or iPad into any of Apple’s 21 retail shopfronts across the country to get credit towards a newer model. Apple’s Reuse and Recycle program has been running in the US since 2006 and …
Read More »
Wear Mini Launcher running on LG’s G Watch Jason Cipriani/CNET Android Wear has a finicky way of launching apps on your wrist. As I previously covered, you can use voice commands or navigate to the launch menu using a series of taps and gestures. And if I’m being completely honest, the current launch method flat out sucks. Thankfully, developers exist …
Read More »
Allergic reaction? CNET Everything that touches us affects us in one way or another. When it comes to itching, we might blame it on washing powder, strange chemicals, something we ate, or even something that took a bite out of us. Dermatologists have, for some time, examined a connection between the presence of nickel — a common metal allergen — …
Read More »
Christopher McManus/CNET The long-rumored Apple iWatch might actually be quite a success in its first year on store shelves, data from Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty shows. Apple will price the iWatch at $300 and sell between 30 million and 60 million units in its first year on store shelves, Huberty wrote in a research report to investors on Monday. …
Read More »
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Andrew Hoyle/CNET Samsung is planning to launch a new, high-end smartphone next month that will be designed to take on the iPhone 6, according to reports out of Korea. Over the weekend, Korean publication ETNews reported that Samsung is working on a device known as the Galaxy Alpha that it plans to launch in August. Samsung wants …
Read More »
Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash. Microsoft Microsoft is planning its largest round of layoffs in five years as the software giant looks to integrate Nokia Oyj’s handset unit, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people with knowledge of the company’s plans. The job cuts, expected to be announced as soon as this week, will likely affect positions in the Nokia unit that …
Read More »
The back of the LG G3, complete with laser-equipped camera. Nate Ralph/CNET In the end, it was all about the lasers. At least, it was to LG, which considered the laser-equipped camera — supposedly able to focus on images faster than the standard smartphone camera — to be one of the hallmark features of its G3 smartphone, the latest flagship …
Read More »