The telco will begin delivering the new BlackBerry handset to customers from 25 March. The Z10 (left) will be followed by the Q10 later in the year. (Credit: Joseph Hanlon/CNET) The BlackBerry Z10 has an official Australian launch date set for 18 March, but Optus has jumped the gun to announce its pricing for the …

The numbers are out — people increasingly prefer to browse the Internet on tablets rather than smartphones. Adobe released its latest Digital Index today and discovered that for the first time ever worldwide tablet traffic has surpassed smartphone traffic. Tablets now drive 8 percent of all Internet traffic, while smartphones generate 7 percent. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on …

When product designers at Martian Watches began development of their Martian Passport smartwatch, they made a risky decision to give the watch a traditional, stylish, and very analog look. It’s a design decision that, not surprisingly, has led the consumer-electronics crowd to ding Martian Watches and prompted the fashion-focused crowd to applaud the Irvine, Calif.-based company. It also captures the …

Samsung is getting more touchy-feely with Immersion. The Korean electronics giant has signed a multiyear licensing agreement with Immersion for its haptics products, giving Samsung access to new technology for its various mobile devices. Haptics technology is built into devices to create tactile feedback or vibrations so a user actually feels something when touching the screen of a mobile device. …

One week from today, Samsung is taking over New York’s Radio City Music Hall to “unpack” its next Galaxy device. The invitation doesn’t get more specific, but the wireless buzz, along with the size and prominence of the venue (even without the Rockettes), suggests that Samsung will unveil the long-awaited Galaxy S4 smartphone. CNET’s live coverage of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 …

How long do you spend looking at your phone? More than three weeks a year, according to new figures. Cor, it’s amazing you haven’t permanently cricked your neck. MobileInsurance.co.uk asked 2,314 phone owners how much time they spent each day sending texts, making calls, using apps and games or anything else on their phones. The average answer is 90 minutes …

Consumers may one day ditch their plastic credit cards, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll abandon their credit card companies. In fact, the move from a leather wallet to a digital one could be a boon for companies like Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. Digital wallets, which allow users to store their credit cards, retail loyalty cards, coupons and …

The Federal Trade Commission said today it has filed complaints against 29 people accused of sending more than 180 million spam text messages falsely promising free gift cards. The FTC alleged in eight separate complaints that the accused tricked consumers into divulging sensitive personal information by promising free gifts or prizes, including $1,000 gift cards at major retailers. Consumers who …

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Nokia still has to pay Microsoft 500 million euros ($650 million) as part of its agreement to use the Windows Phone operating system. That’s the amount that Nokia will have to pay over the life of their agreement after taking into account the “platform support payments” that Microsoft pays to aid in the development of Windows Phone products. The length …

Field Trip (Android|iPhone) helps you find out more about your current location by sending you notifications when you’re near landmarks, restaurants, historical sites, and other noteworthy spots. The app draws information from several sources, including Arcadia, Historvius, Food Network, Zagat, Atlas Obscura, Daily Secret, and others to enrich your experience of locations you wouldn’t know were uniquely interesting otherwise. You …

A bug lurking within the Samsung Galaxy S3 lets any old so-and-so access your smart phone’s personal data, bypassing the phone’s lock screen completely. The glitch was discovered by one Sean McMillan, ZDNet reports, and follows on from a similar glitch which allowed momentary access to the homescreen and apps on the Galaxy Note 2. The glitch is tough to …

Following closely on the heels of a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 security vulnerability, another Samsung user has found that the bug affects other models. Related stories Minor security flaw found in Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Samsung Galaxy S3 review Samsung Galaxy S4 rumor roundup Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 flaw, the bug allows for full access to the Samsung …

The U.S Federal Trade Commission said today that it is cracking down on marketers that are allegedly bombarding consumers with hundreds of millions of unwanted spam messages on their cell phones in the hopes they will give away personal information on bogus Web sites. Federal Trade Commission The 29 defendants listed in the complaint sent 180 million unwanted text messages …

Looking forward to getting Ultra HD movies at home sometime soon? Australians really shouldn’t hold their breath. 4K: probably not coming to your lounge room anytime soon. (Credit: Sony) As we saw back at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Ultra HD (or 4K if you’re Sony) is still the word when talking about the future of TV. But while no …