ZTE today used the IFA consumer electronics show to announce its first smartphone to employ Intel’s Atom Z2460 “Medfield” mobile processor. Called the Grand X IN, the handset runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and features a single-core 1.6GHz processor, a 4.3-inch qHD display, and 8-megapixel camera. Like most higher-end Android phones, the ZTE comes …

Amazon’s bespoke version of the Android app store is now available here in the UK, giving you a free app every day that normally you’d have to pay for. Today it’s the ad-free version of Angry Birds, and tomorrow you’ll get perennial corpse-chomping favourite Plants vs Zombies for absolutely nothing. The Amazon Appstore is a free app you download to …

In addition to its Lenovo IdeaTab S2110, Lenovo unveiled two more Android 4.0 tablets today during IFA 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The first is the Wi-Fi-only Lenovo IdeaTab A2109, which has a 9-inch LED touch screen with a 1,280×800-pixel resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s powered by a Nvidia Tegra 3 1.2GHz quad-core processor, and includes 8GB of internal storage …

Optus will soon offer a Top Up option for customers who are concerned that they will exceed their monthly plan allowance, in addition to introducing a new alerts system. (Credit: Optus) To be available in “the near future”, the Optus Top Ups will apply to both calls and messaging, and data usage. AU$5 and AU$10 Top Ups will add either …

Lenovo left a lot of room to improve its IdeaTab S2109, and so far the tablet’s successor, announced today at IFA 2012, is a step up. In a nutshell, the 10.1-inch Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 Android tablet promises a larger screen, a better processor, and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. That camera comes with autofocus and LED flash; fingers crossed it captures …

AT&T is adopting the Apple philosophy with a mega retail store that focuses on the consumer and not just on selling products. Opening Saturday, the new 10,000 square-foot store is nestled along Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile. The design of the store offers the promise of a more customer-focused experience than that found at AT&T’s usual retail outlets. The product runway …

Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Rumors abound that the next-generation PlayStation will be able to output 4K resolution. Normally, I find rumors about as useful and interesting as other people’s gas, but this one stinks on a different level. Allow me to confound with reasons why I think 4K output with the PS4 is simultaneously likely, and pretty much irrelevant. OK, not irrelevant, …

These are the upcoming Blu-ray releases that you really should be buying. Flying Monsters 3D … at least you get Sir David’s soothing voice (Credit: 2011 Atlantic Productions Ltd) Arguably, it’s thanks to HBO and the show Oz that we have the current trend for well crafted, detailed TV series’ featuring some stellar actors. While Boardwalk Empire doesn’t have the …

Sony bulked up its Vaio lineup with two new entries today: one a large table-top product and the other a convertible device that can toggle between a tablet and a laptop. The hybrid is the Vaio Duo 11, which has a keyboard, but can slide between a laptop design and a tablet-like slate. The second is the Vaio Tap 20, …

If you’re like me, you’re constantly grabbing for your smartphone or iPad when you watch TV to look up an actor, a movie review or something else that piqued your interest. This morning as I commuted to work, I started a shopping search on my smartphone that I cut short, figuring I’d complete it  with plans to hopefully make a …

At the IFA technology trade show in Berlin, Sony pulled the wraps off of three new Android smartphones. Called the Xperia T, Xperia V, and Xperia J, each device will range in capabilities, with the T being top dog and the V and J following behind. Here’s a hands-on view of the Xperia T. Stephen Shankland/CNET With a 4.6-inch screen …

You wait ages for a new LG blower and then two come along at once. Meet the LG Optimus G — an Ice Cream Sandwich-powered quad-core flagship packing Qualcomm Snapdragon’s S4 Pro chip, powered at 1.5GHz. Under the G’s roomy hood, you’ll also find a quad-core Krait CPU, an Adreno 320 GPU and support for the next generation of network …

Editor’s note: This live blog has concluded, but here are some stories on what was announced: Samsung unveils ATIV S, world’s first Windows Phone 8 device; First impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2; Samsung bets on Android-powered, networked camera; Samsung adds a Windows RT tablet, the ATIV Tab. You can also replay the live blog by clicking the link …

Motorola has sent out its save the date notes for a Sept. 18 event in London, where the company is expected to unveil the first Motorola phone to have an Intel chip. The partnership between the two companies, announced at CES in January, was considered a major win for Intel which has been trying to break into the smartphone market …

Archos has just announced a new Android-powered device that was designed with Android gamers in mind. (Credit: Archos) The GamePad delivers as its name describes, offering dedicated game controls to replace the on-screen controls that most Android gamers struggle with. These controls include a four-way directional pad, four action keys (ABXY) and two analog control sticks. It also has a …