Apple’s stock Weather app is so lame. I mean, all it does is report the local temperature and forecast. Bo-ring! That’s why third-party app developers continue to find new and interesting ways to sling weather data. There’s Dark Sky, which specializes in next-hour forecasts; Climate Clock, which combines weather data with an actual clock; and …

Launched overnight in New York, LG’s new flagship G2 will arrive in Australia in Q4 this year — believed to be around November, according to an LG press release. The LG G2. (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) This is a marked change in strategy for LG, which has had previous flagship “superphones” such as the Optimus G launching considerably later in Australia …

Iqbal Arshad, one of Motorola’s top engineers, has become a little defensive since the launch of the much-anticipated Moto X last week, as some have criticized the device for not being innovative enough. The smartphone, which is the flagship device of the newly reinvigorated Motorola, is among the first devices to be introduced to the market since Motorola was acquired …

Most of today’s bands view recordings as promotional tools for their concerts, they have to stay on the road to make a living. That’s just the way it is, but they make a lot fewer records than bands did before, and since most recordings lose money, studio time is limited and budgets are shrinking. That’s too bad, recordings are the …

Now playing: Watch this: 4G networks: How they’re tested 1:53 At 10:30 in the morning a few weeks ago I hopped into a plain white van, a mysterious briefcase carefully laid out on the passenger’s seat abuzz with phones. Into the afternoon, the driver answered my probing questions about long hours on the road, awkward run-ins with the cops, and …

A little more than 12 hours before LG is expected to take the wraps off its G2, the first press image of the company’s next flagship smartphone has allegedly leaked out. A purported marketing image of the smartphone, which incidentally displays the time and date of Wednesday’s big reveal, was obtained and tweeted by evleaks Tuesday afternoon. The device’s front …

The first signs of a new Key Lime Pie build of Android have surfaced, albeit in a somewhat unconventional manner. Related stories: Google Nexus 7 (2013) review Android 4.3 Jelly Bean review Android Key Lime Pie: Most wanted features (video) A user in the Chromium bug tracker (Chromium is Chrome’s open source backbone) recently reported running tests on a variety …

FreedomPop’s mobile hotspot service has finally jumped to 4G LTE. FreedomPop hops onto Sprint’s cellular network to provide its users with mobile Internet access. Until now, its service only supported Sprint’s WiMax network. But the new $149 Freedom Spot MiFi 5580 hotspot kicks in support for the carrier’s 4G LTE network. The new mobile hotspot provides average speeds of 6 …

It seems like it was ages ago when BlackBerry dropped the news that BBM would find a home on Android handsets. Apparently the wait is about to end, at least for owners of Samsung Galaxy phones. A new report from the folks at N4BB claims that Samsung has officially committed to the messaging app. Specifically, BBM addicts will be able …

Samsung is set to change the warranty for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, a waterproof phone that surprisingly isn’t covered for water damage. “We are working to improve the warranty condition of the GALAXY S4 Active for customers”, Samsung told me today. “We will update once it is finalized.” The warranty for the S4 Active currently doesn’t cover damage from …

If you’re taking your life in your hands by using a knock-off charger to power up your iPhone, Apple is offering to swap it for a proper one. Following a spate of dangerous incidents involving chargers and batteries built by third-party manufacturers to work with the iPhone and other smart phones, Apple is launching the USB Power Adaptor Takeback Programme. …

The Ubuntu Edge, the highly ambitious convergence device that offers both an Android smartphone and Linux desktop experience, may very well fail to meet its record crowdfunding goal of $32 million. But Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu operating system, is not too worried. In many ways, the project has already succeeded by illustrating support on all sides for the …

Incoming! Nokia’s formidable new photo-blower is pointed at the UK and the Finnish phone-flinger is about to pull the trigger. Due here in September, the Lumia 1020 is set to cost £550. The high-end price tag has been applied by independent gadget dealership Unlocked Mobiles, which has the 41-megapixel camera phone up for pre-order. Expect other online phone-floggers to match …

Quick, get the protective wrap onto the sofa — Nokia has got its claws out, and is scratching away at Apple’s iPhone. Specifically, the Finnish firm’s latest advertising opus takes aim at the iPhone 5‘s camera. “Every day, more photos are taken on the iPhone than on any other phone,” the ad (possibly unwisely) begins, before wading into the fray …

Google has won a patent on a new way to unlock a device and access applications. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday awarded Google a patent on “Alternative Unlocking Patterns.” The technology describes a method by which users would create several different unlocking patterns that would pertain to a particular action. Upon completing that pattern input, the device …