Sarah Tew/CNET Google has made Android Wear. Samsung has released its Gears. And halfway through the year, the world of wearable tech — and smartwatches — still looks like a complete mess. I’ve tried them all, or most of them. And one has remained on my wrist after all the others: the Pebble Steel . …

Verizon calls up LG’s flagship G3 for July 17. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Verizon joined a number of US carriers on Thursday in announcing the upcoming availability of the LG G3 smartphone and G Watch . Both devices arrive at retail stores on July 17, but customers can pre-order them online immediately. Related Links LG G3 review LG G Watch review Whatever …

Apple’s iWatch should look a lot better than this illustration. CNET Apple’s iWatch will enter mass production in November, according to a research note issued Thursday by noted KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, later than previously predicted. While earlier reports had predicted that the smartwatch would go launch as early as October, Kuo’s note said the revised prediction was the result …

Samsung’s Galaxy S5. Josh Miller/CNET Samsung is once again on the defensive about allegations of child labor at one of its suppliers. US activist group China Labor Watch released a new report (PDF) on Thursday that details children working in assembly lines at a factory called Shinyang Electronics in Dongguan, China. Samsung has responded to the report saying it will …

Apple’s A7 processor from Samsung. Apple Apple has finally started breaking ties with Samsung and its mobile processors, according to a new report. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a mobile chipmaker that signed a deal with Apple last year to make processors for the company, has started shipping those components, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people who claim …

Sarah Tew/CNET SAN FRANCISCO — Raise your hand if you’ve ever plunked down $100 to $200 on a wearable device, perhaps a Fitbit or a Jawbone wrist-worn activity tracker, and then months later found it deposited in a drawer, without a charge and as despondent-looking as a last-generation cell phone. Even at the Wearable Technologies Conference held here this week, …

Verizon Communications CEO Lowell McAdam James Martin/CNET Verizon Wireless expects to report a net gain of more than 1.4 million postpaid customers in the second quarter, helped along by company-record tablet additions and smartphone growth. “We think this is going to be a great quarter for us,” Lowell McAdam, chairman and chief executive of Verizon Communications, parent of Verizon Wireless, …

Jason Cipriani/CNET Controlling technology with voice commands is becoming a part of our everyday lives. When you can talk to a watch, a pair of glasses, a computer, or a smartphone, it’s surprising it’s still possible to feel alone. (I’m not serious. Or am I?) Related stories How to get started with Google Now Android L will bring new design, …

Consumers are one tiny step closer to being able to take their phones to another carrier when they switch service providers. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously voted to approve a bill that will make it easier for consumers to unlock their cell phones. Once unlocked, wireless subscribers can then take those phones to a different wireless …

The Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Picollo, shown with an iPod Nano. Cypher Labs I’ve reviewed a ton of portable digital converter/headphone amplifiers, but what we have here with the Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Picollo is just a portable headphone amp. This little guy can coax better sound out of headphones than the amplifier built into your phone or portable music player. That’s …

A seasonal summer promo skims costs on some phones. Cricket Promotional sales may be a dime a dozen in the cell phone industry, but for a lot of people, every little bit helps. AT&T-owned Cricket Wireless gets in the spirit of back-to-school with a limited-time promotion that trims back costs on several of its prepaid phones. Depending on the device …

PayPal Nielsen’s latest report on mobile payments isn’t too surprising, save one tidbit: people like using QR codes. The study, released Thursday, found that mobile payment users actually prefer methods involving quick response (QR) codes or bar codes. Almost half, 45 percent, of the nearly 4,000 people surveyed by Nielsen said they use the method to check out with their …

Amazon’s Prime Air prototype. Amazon Amazon is asking the federal government if it can start testing drones in its own backyard to speed up its development of Prime Air shipping, according to a letter published to the Federal Aviation Administration’s site on Thursday. If granted, Amazon will be able to test its drones outside of the testing sites designated by …

The iPhone 5S CNET The next killer feature on Apple’s expected iPhone 6 could be a display that provides tactile feedback to users — giving users the impression, for instances, of a physical keyboard on a flat touchscreen. This latest iPhone 6 rumor stems from a report Wednesday on Chinese site Laoyaoba, which said so-called “haptics” technology will be added …

CNET has learned from an industry source that Kyocera, the Japanese-based mobile company known for its rugged handsets , is in the process of developing a smartphone with a sapphire display. Related stories: This sapphire smartphone screen is strong, strong, strong Virtually indestructible sapphire smartphone screen (video) Sapphire phone screens not as strong as you think, says Corning In addition, …