Of all the features introduced in the iPhone 4S, Siri is the one that has people really talking. Literally. The concept of using a smartphone as a personal assistant is certainly appealing, but it’s not necessarily new. Take for instance Voice Actions, a Google feature introduced for 2.2 devices, that lets users call contacts, send …

After Samsung backtracked a bit yesterday, Verizon officially confirmed that it will offer the Samsung Galaxy Nexus later this year. The carrier did not announce an exact release date or pricing at this time, but Samsung and Google said last week at the unveiling event that the smartphone would start shipping in the U.S., as well as parts of Asia …

Face Unlock is one of the flagship features of Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Android announced earlier this week, and does exactly what it says on the tin — lets you unlock your phone by holding it up to your face. Except there’s a chance it could be fooled by a picture of your mug. SlashGear reports that …

Verizon Communications’ revenue and profits edged slightly ahead of analyst expectations for the third quarter, but the company’s growth in wireless subscribers missed expectations during the period. Today, Verizon reported that its profits increased to $3.54 billion, or 49 cents a share, compared with $2.7 billion, or 23 cents a share, during the same quarter a year ago. Adjusted profits …

Streaming video has exploded in the home theater. Only a few years ago there was only Netflix, but now Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, and Vudu all offer top-notch streaming video services. The variety is great, but it forces streaming video fans to keep a mental catalog of where their favorite shows and movies are available. When I rereviewed the Apple …

Now that we’ve reviewed all of the flagship LED TVs this year, it’s time to round up the winners to date. With one very notable exception, these TVs aren’t as good in our book as the very best plasmas, but each delivers excellent or very good performance overall. So without further ado, here they are in descending order of picture …

Not content with declaring thermonuclear war on Android, it seems Steve Jobs wanted to make a fully-fledged Apple TV set as well. The reveal comes from Walter Isaacson’s biography, named simply Steve Jobs, which is published on Monday. Could Apple be about to take on Sony, Samsung, LG et al. in the lounge as well as in the mobile sphere? …

At last, some good news for those long-suffering BlackBerry users — you can now get Spotify on your phone, thanks to a preview version of the BlackBerry app. It’s only a preview at the moment, so you won’t find it on App World, but you can can give it a whirl by going over here. All the features you’d expect …

Chinese cell phone maker ZTE has introduced another device for the U.S. market. The new ZTE Memo is an advanced feature phone available on Leap Wireless’ Cricket service. ZTE Memo Cricket/Leap Wireless The ZTE Memo is a low-cost, 3G bar-style feature phone. It offers full Web browsing, a QWERTY keyboard for quick messaging, MP3 player, and access to popular Cricket …

Nokia World commences next Wednesday, but at this rate we should call it “Windows Phone World.” It’s there that Nokia will show off its first Windows Phone, about nine months after the then-struggling device and mobile platform maker shocked the mobile world by publicly placing all bets with Windows Phone. The amount of enthusiasm the handset receives isn’t just important …

You and your smartphone may be inseparable, but that doesn’t mean you ought to be best friends. That’s the essential message from Andy Rubin, Google’s Android chief, who spoke at the AsiaD conference this week. Not so coincidentally, he said this just days after the launch of the iPhone 4S, a chief feature of which is Siri, a voice-activated feature …

We knew Microsoft’s CEO wasn’t exactly the shy and retiring type, but now he’s ripped Android a new one ahead of next week’s Nokia World, reports BGR. Speaking at the Web 2.0 conference, Ballmer said, “You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone, but I think you do to use an Android phone.” Fighting words. …

AT&T is looking forward to an “unbelievably” happy holiday. The company expects its best smartphone sales ever in the fourth quarter, according to Ralph de la Vega, head of the consumer and wireless businesses. “We expect blockbuster smartphone sales in the fourth quarter,” de la Vega said today during a conference call following its third-quarter report, further fueling the expectations …

AT&T said it surpassed 1 million iPhone 4S activations on Tuesday, making it the most successful launch despite its availability on two other carriers. The Dallas telecommunications giant hit the mark after five days of sales. The figure underscores AT&T’s continued strength even as Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel offered the iPhone as well. The company earlier reported third-quarter results …

While some handset makers are looking into Android 4.0 and evaluating the potential for updates, others are already making promises. Such is the case with Sony Ericsson, which said this week that its entire 2011 product line will see Ice Cream Sandwich. Although the company hasn’t outlined a specific time frame or soft expectation, it should go a long way …