BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and 4oD are banding together into one smart TV alliance to rule them all: Freeview Connect. Although it’s not clear what form it’ll take, the result could cut YouView out of the loop. The Guardian reports that BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have formed a new alliance to get their catch-up …

CNET If you’re fan of plasma TVs, last year’s announcement by Panasonic that the company was no longer going to make them likely came as quite a blow. So now what? What do you do if you want a new TV but want the picture quality of a plasma? This guide leads you though all the available options. Some good, …

You know what we need? More Samsung tablets — said no-one, ever. Except, apparently, Mr or Mrs Tablet at Samsung, who has reportedly approved the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. The Tab 4 will make its debut alongside the hotly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S5 in just over a week, according to ZDNet. And there’ll be a new, redesigned Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch …

BlackBerry Messenger users can tap into a potpourri of new features when the app is updated on Thursday. Slated to reach iOS and Android users, version 2.0 of BBM will bring with it BBM Voice, a way to call your BBM contacts. Already available for BlackBerry OS, BBM Voice gives you the ability to make free phone calls to other …

For all their smarts, smartphones can be complicated animals. Or at least frustrating ones, especially if you run into some of the problems that tend to crop up among new smartphone owners. (Note that I’m referring to both new smartphone-owners and new-smartphone owners. Hyphenation matters, people!) Thankfully, most of these issues are easily resolved — or if not resolved, easily …

Google’s LTE Nexus 7 is now officially part of Verizon’s network. As of Thursday, Verizon is selling the tablet for $250 with the usual two-year contract, or $350 on a month-to-month off-contract basis. The Nexus 7 is now available online and will land in Verizon retail stores as well. Further, current owners of the 4G LTE Nexus 7 can now …

Talk is cheap, or in the case of BBM, it’s free. The BlackBerry Messenger app for Apple, Android and BlackBerry phones is updating today to add free voice chat. The update adds BBM Voice, so you can make free phone calls over Wi-Fi or your data connection to your BBM contacts using BlackBerry, Android and iOS anywhere in the world. …

Verizon Wireless has long considered itself the Cadillac of carriers. Following Thursday’s introduction of its “More Everything” plan, which brings price cuts, more data, and a few other freebies, it’s clear that carrier wants to remain the premium brand in the wireless industry. While the discounts are welcome to existing Verizon users, its rivals still offer more competitive plans. Related …

Sony this week commenced the Android 4.3 update for a number of Xperia smartphones. Effective Thursday, the Sony Xperia T, TX, V and SP are finally picking up the most current release of Jelly Bean. Related stories: Sony ‘Sirius’ phone could pack 4K video recording Sony to debut Xperia T2 Ultra phablet in UK A bigger bite of Android 4.3 …

The Xbox One controller is “overly twitchy”, according to one of the creators of forthcoming game Titanfall, but Microsoft has acted fast to fix it with a software update. “It wasn’t really where we felt it should be,” says the game’s design lead Justin Hendry, speaking to The Verge. “It was a little overly twitchy with the current controls. Now it’s …