The mobile world will welcome the birth of a new mobile OS at the beginning of next year, with Research In Motion (RIM) setting a concrete date for the launch of its BlackBerry 10 OS. The new “peek” feature demoed on a pre-launch device. (Credit: CNET) RIM will host a number of launch events on …

Mark your calendars, phone fans: Ofcom has named the dates for the 4G auction. The next wave of 4G services is expected to launch in May or June, and will raise at least £1.3bn. The telecoms watchdog has laid out the rules for the auction of airwaves to be used for super-fast mobile phone Web browsing, setting the reserve price at …

A pair of likely photos of the Samsung Ativ Odyssey have surfaced online, thanks to reputable Twitter source @evleaks. First announced last month, the Windows Phone 8 handset is expected to arrive at Verizon’s doorstep in December, but the exact timing remains murky. Details for the Ativ Odyssey have yet to be formally announced; rumors suggest it could feature a …

Google has updated its product pages on Google Play for the Nexus 4 smartphone and Nexus 10 tablet, now letting customers place orders. (Screenshot by Joseph Hanlon/CNET Australia) The smartphone goes on sale for AU$349 for the 8GB model and AU$399 for the 16GB version. The 10-inch Jelly Bean tablet also comes in two storage variations: a 16GB model for …

Update: Google has just launched a price protection policy on Google Play, so if you bought your Nexus 7 from it after 14 October, you’re eligible to have the difference refunded. Head here to file your request. Update 2: Asus got in touch to confirm its UK offer for Nexus 7 owners. You’ll get a £25 coupon for the Asus …

Verizon announced today that it’ll offer the Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II, the sequel to the Samsung Stratosphere, in the “coming weeks.” The handset’s equipped with 4G LTE data speeds, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, and a 4-inch Super AMOLED touch-screen display. Related stories Best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Cases TV in the Bathroom: Technically Doable but a Very Bad Idea …

Now playing: Watch this: Shortcuts: cheat at sudoku with Google Goggles 0:53 OK, this isn’t strictly a shortcut — it is closer to cheating — but it could save you a bunch of time, all the same. Google Goggles is a fascinating app that gets better all the time. It can create a new Google search based on what it …

Prepare your best gormless phone face and rehearse those bad accents — Skype is finally available on the Windows Phone 8 app store. Out now and free to download, the new version shares many characteristics with its Windows 8 desktop counterpart. The clean, minimal design of Windows 8 apps is in full effect, with the People, Favourites and Recent sections …

Editor’s note: T-Mobile has confirmed that the Nexus 4 will not support Wi-Fi calling. The carrier has corrected the support documents, which a spokesman said were originally posted with incorrect information. It appears that the T-Mobile version of the Nexus 4 will support Wi-Fi calling after all. Provided online support documents for the handset prove to be accurate, the new …

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has announced the winners of the 2012 Innovation Awards in the run up to the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), including LG’s Ultra HD 3D TV. LG’s 84LM9600 won the Video Display Innovation Award. (Credit: LG) With CES 2013 just around the corner, the CEA has kicked off the proceedings with the Best of Innovations …

Got the urge to dust off the Buffy DVDs for a re-watch? Here’s an episode guide with a difference. (Credit: Twentieth Century Fox) A good episode guide can be essential when you’re catching up on TV or settling in for a bit of a marathon. Waffle Meringue Productions has put together a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode guide with a …

Amazon’s new Paperwhite Kindle is in very short supply in the US, with units purchased from the website now not shipping until late December. (Screenshot by Michelle Starr/CNET Australia) The Paperwhite Kindle includes a feature that E Ink e-reader fans have been anticipating for a while now: a built-in front light that will allow readers low-light legibility without the need …

Optus now offers 4G for its prepaid customers, as long as you have your own 4G phone compatible with the telco’s long-term evolution (LTE) network. (Credit: Optus) Plans start at AU$30 per month, and mirror the prepaid plans already in the market from Optus, with the lowest plan returning 250 minutes of calls, AU$30 credit and 500MB of data each …

The “under-the-radar” file-sharing system has been dragged into the spotlight by DMCA takedowns. (Credit: US Government) Usenet is one of the oldest discussion forums on the internet, but over the past few years, it’s gained a lot of popularity as a file transfer system, one that’s far more easy to remain anonymous on than other P2P sharing services. But despite …

Faster internet speeds mean that viewers expect faster loading times, with users starting to abandon videos after just two seconds of waiting. Two seconds and you’re leaving.(Credit: YouTube) Research from Ramesh Sitaraman, a computer science professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has found that users begin abandoning an online video after only two seconds of loading time. As reported …