Google’s Android Market looks set for a new wave of innovative apps made by… Google itself. The company is recruiting app developers — including software engineers, product managers and user interface specialists — to fuel an expansion in its in-house app activities. Google wants to put small development teams together to make a range of …

Few things in air travel are as polarizing as cell phone use on commercial flights. Though many people quake at the thought of being sealed in a metal tube next to a loud talker, others aren’t quite as concerned with peace and quiet. Similarly, while some travelers savor the idea of being out of touch for a few hours, others …

Existing customers can preorder their iPhone 4s at 3 a.m. February 3. Screenshot by Joe Aimonetti Verizon has updated its iPhone landing page to include a countdown and a message for existing customers to come back to the site, presumably to preorder the iPhone. In true Apple fashion (adding a countdown), when the numbers reach zero, a day that’s been …

Will the HTC Thunderbolt get simultaneous voice and data? Phandroid Simultaneous voice and data won’t be available on Verizon until this spring, at least that’s the common knowledge shared by the CDMA Development Group. Yet we’ve been hearing rumors over the last several days–from Phandroid and Engadget, for instance–that the Android-powered HTC Thunderbolt will have this functionality on Verizon’s 3G …

It’s official. Comcast has completed its acquisition of NBC Universal. On Saturday, the cable giant announced that the transaction is complete. Comcast now owns 51 percent of NBC Universal. General Electric still owns 49 percent of the media conglomerate. The new company, which will be called NBC Universal, is valued at $37 billion. The deal was originally announced in December …

For many seasoned travelers, making a trip as stress-free as possible means having booked a place to stay well in advance, especially for busy metropolitan destinations. However, the world in which we live is not always ideal, and last-minute plans are bound to be necessary from time to time. HotelTonight, a new travel-friendly app for the iPhone, aims to make …

Yes, Android fans, there is yet another LG Optimus phone, and this time it’s for Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile recently announced via its Facebook page that it’ll be releasing the LG Optimus V starting tomorrow. If the phone seems like deja vu to you, that’s because the LG Optimus V is essentially the same as the LG Optimus S for …

The Federal Communications Commission last week asked a federal court to dismiss lawsuits filed by cell phone service providers Verizon Communications and MetroPCS that challenge the FCC’s new Net neutrality regulations. The FCC said in a statement that the companies filed their suits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit too early. The new rules …

Android has now surged past Symbian to become the world’s top smartphone platform, says a report out today from research firm Canalys. Global shipments of Android-based phones hit 32.9 million in the final quarter of 2010, pushing Nokia’s Symbian down to second place with 31 million smartphones shipped. The beneficiaries of the demand for Google’s mobile operating system were the …

Samsung Blu-ray players can stream LoveFilm from today, allowing you to watch films from the movie-rental service without waiting days for the rattle of the letterbox. The LoveFilm app is accessed through your Internet@TV IPTV menu. You need to be a paying LoveFilm subscriber, the same as you need to be to stream films from the LoveFilm website. Through the …

Since the launch of HD DVD and Blu-ray there have been two ways to watch HD video on your TV: HDMI, and the lower-quality but much-loved component. Starting this year, Hollywood wants to phase out the latter and force consumers to use HDMI — to the extent that it will prevent component outputs on the Blu-ray player you’ve already paid for …

Google is recruiting developers to work in-house on mobile apps for its Android operating system, a report says, as the tech giant continues its challenge to Apple’s iOS and the popular devices that run on it. Benjamin Ling, a Google product-management director, has been supervising an attempt to coax software engineers, user-interface specialists, and product managers into the Google fold, …

Pioneer Australia has announced that it will not be re-entering the television market and that the new line of Elite-branded panels announced for the US will not be available in Australia. A preproduction Pioneer Kuro using a Sharp LCD panel from 2008 (Credit: CNET UK) “Audio is the company’s forte and we have no plans to re-enter the flat panel …

Nokia appears to be seriously considering launching smart phones that don’t run its own Symbian or MeeGo software, as comments from CEO Stephen Elop sparked rumours about an Android or Windows Phone 7 tie-up. Before we get on to the wild speculation, here’s what Elop actually said, in yesterday’s conference call with investors after Nokia revealed its latest financial results: …

If you think the Google Maps navigation on your Droid is just too boring, Verizon has its own turn-by-turn software that adds 3D, yes, 3D, maps. The 3D maps are currently supported in only six cities–Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, and Kansas City, Mo.–but more cities will be added later on. Aside from 3D renderings of cities as …