For developers looking for that extra leg up, there are few better places to start than with the wireless carriers. AT&T’s developer contest is one avenue for app developers looking to break out. AT&T Last week, I wrote about the critical importance of finding the right partners. And for many, getting the blessing of a …

Apparently, Motorola Mobility had a lot of suitors. GigaOm reports that several parties were in acquisition talks with Motorola, which eventually got scooped up by Google for a $12.5 billion. Among the other potential buyers was Microsoft. Microsoft purchasing Motorola could have added to the software giant’s already impressive patent portfolio, and given Google and Android limited legal breathing room. …

The force is strong with Panasonic Blu-ray players. When you buy an item of the company’s new Blu-ray home cinema kit, you’ll be rewarded with the original Star Wars movie saga on Blu-ray. The original trilogy is available with Panasonic Blu-ray players, recorders and home cinema systems. To bag a classic cosmic carve-up, simply buy a BDT110, 210, 310 or …

The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and it’s difficult to keep up–even without the technical jargon most industry insiders throw around. And they do love to toss those terms about. This week, I attempt to explain one of technology’s favorite buzzwords, no small feat given its broad use and different interpretations applied to it. So for some light …

Creative is combining Google joy with its established expertise in audio technology, with three new Android gadgets in time for Christmas. The veteran MP3 player maker has 7-inch and 10-inch ZiiO Android tablets ready for December, along with a smaller Android 3.2-inch device called the ZEN Touch 2. From a pure spec perspective, the gear looks inferior to what’s already …

You don’t have to go to Sweden to buy an affordable Android smart phone, but Orange is conjuring up thoughts of award-winning fjords, meatballs and cheerful socialism with the Stockholm. The budget Android phone has been revealed on the Orange website. The Stockholm packs Android 2.2 Froyo, the last-but-one version of Google’s mobile-phone software. Froyo may not be the latest version …

AT&T’s deal to buy T-Mobile USA could end up being even costlier than originally thought. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the telecommunications giant has hired bankers to advise it on the potential sale of customers and spectrum–assets that may be worth $8 billion or more. It’s no huge surprise that AT&T will need to make concessions. AT&T CEO …

Yesterday, a Lithuanian mobile phone and accessories Web site posted a leak of what appears to be details for a number of upcoming Samsung mobile devices. As one would expect, Android tops the list, along with a few midrange devices, a Galaxy Tab (7-inch) successor, and a couple of handsets with display sizes the likes of which we’ve never seen …

If the latest rumors are true, we’ll find out September 7 what the iPhone 5 looks like. That’s when Apple will purportedly hold a media event to unveil whatever it’s been hatching all summer. In the meantime, MacRumors has cooked up some decidedly sexy mockups of the iPhone 5. (Click either photo for a larger version.) But these images aren’t …

Nintendo investors want to give Mario a new home on Apple’s iPhone and iPad, where Italy’s most famous plumber can happily battle Bowser and hopefully draw in some much-needed revenue for the ailing Japanese gaming giant. With stocks plummeting to a six-year low and having to drastically slash the prices of its new 3DS console, Nintendo is having a tough …

Millions of iPhone customers may not care whether the new iPhone due out this fall will have 4G technology, since they already think their iPhone can access 4G networks. A recent survey found that a third of iPhone users think they already have a 4G device. Sadly, the iPhone 4 is just another 3G smartphone. It doesn’t even come equipped …

If you recently read our article on the Samsung Galaxy R and like the idea of having a cheaper alternative to the cosmically brilliant Galaxy S2, then here’s some smashing news — your buying decision has just been made much harder by the Samsung Galaxy S Plus. It’s a cheaper alternative to the Galaxy S2 and it’s available through Vodafone. …

Samsung has just sent out invites for an August 29 event in New York where it will make a “major product announcement.” Though the invitation doesn’t specifically call it out by name, the Roman numeral II at the bottom of the invite is a pretty good indication that we’re finally going to hear details about the U.S. version of the …

Jeff Bezos is worried about phone safety. Not your safety while you’re distracted by your phone. No, he’s worried about the gadget itself. A diagram from a patent application filed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Gregory M. Hart to protect mobile devices from impact damage, in this instance using an air bag. Screenshot by Jay Greene/CNET The Amazon boss and …

Virgin Media is bringing the V Festival to your living room — minus the mud and annoying teenagers — with a new TiVo app. Virgin Media TiVo is a rather clever set-top box that learns what telly programmes you like. It also offers apps, like the V Festival app stuffed with musical goodies from interviews with the turns to special …