As smartphones get more sophisticated, so does the software that runs them. And that means a major pain in the neck for consumers: buggy software upgrades. Just like with your computer, smartphone software is constantly evolving and upgrades are rolled out all the time. While new versions of software often add more functionality, sometimes they’re …

R2-D2 Droid 2 Dock Verizon Verizon’s DroidLanding Twitter account started back up earlier this week, dropping vague clues and toying with the Star Wars faithful. Once used to help promote the Droid X ahead of its launch, the DroidLanding account is now a source to leak R2-D2 Droid 2 details. As some of you may know, the special edition of …

Apple has released a dedicated page on apple.com detailing some of the features of the forthcoming iOS 4.2 update that will unify the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad operating systems. The page highlights some of the most coveted features of iOS 4 (currently only running on iPhone and iPod touch) that will finally debut on iPad, including: Multitasking. A simple …

The Royal Mail is dragging itself kicking and screaming into the 21st century with a new ‘intelligent’ stamp, which can be read using image recognition technology by your iPhone or Android devices. The ‘intelligent’ stamp is a claimed world first, incorporated in Royal Mail’s latest Great British Railways edition. The way it works is very simple. You need an app …

Virgin Media is offering a good-looking deal for those students who are looking for a BlackBerry smart phone, but can’t quite afford a new top-of-the-range model. Available is the Qwerty keyboard and 2-megapixel camera sporting entry-level Blackberry Curve 8520 for £12 a month, or £10 per month if you’re an existing Virgin Media customer with a TV package. Students with …

Motorola has launched a new version of its popular Milestone Android smart phone. We reported about the launch of the US version, the Droid 2, early last month. The Milestone 2 looks very similar, with a slide-out keyboard and 3.7-inch WVGA screen. But it’s underneath the body that we see the difference. The phone runs Android 2.2 Froyo and sports …

Though our cell phones make us feel safer and more connected, we’re not so crazy about how they interrupt our daily lives. A majority of the people surveyed by Pew Internet for a report released Thursday said owning a cell phone makes them feel safer because they can always use it to call for assistance. A large number (88 percent) …

Sony is launching its Qriocity premium video streaming service in the UK, hogging some of the buzz created by the launch of Apple TV. At the IFA 2010 show in Berlin, Sony said it was expanding the service from the US to Britain in the autumn. It has been available in across the Atlantic since April. What Qriocity (pronounced curiosity) …

The sausage-fest (seriously, the only food you can get there is sausages) that is German technology trade show IFA rumbles on, and so do the new technology announcements. And today, LG has continued its assault of the 3D market by announcing the world’s first THX 3D certified plasma. The new PX990 will feature active 3D technology, has a full HD …

Nokia smart phone owners can try out the hot new Swype text messaging technology, previously only available to selected Android users. Swype for Symbian Beta is now available to download for smart phone owners running Symbian for S60 5th Edition. This means the Nokia 5800, 5230, X6, N97, N97 mini and C6-00 handsets. Swype plugs in directly into the Symbian …

NEW YORK–Just having the latest and greatest 3D-enabled TV won’t guarantee you a virtual court-side seat this weekend when CBS Sports broadcasts the U.S. Open tennis tournament in 3D. You’ll also have to subscribe to DirecTV’s satellite TV service. Avid sports fans can now feel like they’re part of the action in their own living rooms thanks to 3D TV …

Fed up of bad connections and muffled voices on the other line? Orange says it has opened the way to a future of crystal-clear calling by allowing phones to make mobile High Definition (HD) voice calls. As we reported on back in January, the technology is supposed to improve the sound quality of traditional mobile calls by using the Wideband Adaptive Multi-Rate …

If you ever wished for a way to view your iPhone snapshots on a bigger screen (without first copying them to your PC), here’s your answer. WiiPhoto transmits photos to your HDTV by way of your Wii game console. It’s a terrific idea, but one marred by a couple of gotchas and the limitations of the console itself. The app …

As expected, Huawei unveiled an Android 2.2 smartphone Thursday at the IFA trade show in Berlin. Dubbed the IDEOS (Industrial Design Evolution Operating System), we’re looking at an entry-level device with a 2.8-inch (240×320) touch display and 528MHz processor. There’s also a 3.2-megapixel camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an microSD slot. Huawei IDEOS Huawei Though this certainly isn’t the …

Verizon announced on Thursday new prepaid data plans for smartphones and feature phones. The 3G Prepaid data package offers $30-a-month unlimited plans for smartphone users, and $10 a month for 25MB of data for feature phone users–you’ll have to pay 20 cents per megabyte of overage if you go over that limit. As for which phones qualify for the new …