Qualcomm and ARM are planning to release powerful processors that may run a new generation of smart phones.  Qualcomm expects to release the 1.2GHz, dual-core 8260 chip in the first half of 2011. A 1.5GHz, dual-core 8672 CPU is expected to emerge in July 2011. Qualcomm is the manufacturer of the 1GHz Snapdragon chip that runs …

Urban dwellers and tourists exploring a new city now can get improved walking directions thanks to Google Maps for Android. Available on the application’s 4.5 update, Walking Navigation offers many of the standard Google Navigation features, but tailors them to pedestrians. Walking Navigation will use more than city streets to guide you on your way; it also will take into …

If you thought the Apple iPad couldn’t get any cooler, wait until you see the FridgePad. You can now adorn your fridge with more than rude poetry and colourful letters, as the Woodford FridgePad sticks your Apple tablet to the chiller door. Although you might be desperate to stop your iPad from overheating, we don’t recommend keeping it in the …

A new front is opening in the war between BlackBerry and Apple. Apple’s iPhone has hit BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion where it lives — in the smart-phone market — but RIM is taking the fight to Apple with an iPad rival. Unfortunately, RIM-watchers have spotted that the company has snapped up the domain name blackpad.com. You read that right: the …

It’s no surprise that everyone wants in on PayPal’s successful payments strategy, and MasterCard is no exception. On Wednesday, the credit card giant launched a version of its MoneySend mobile app for BlackBerry. Similar to the iPhone version, MasterCard MoneySend for BlackBerry can settle peer-to-peer balances by sending money to friends and family, and purchasing goods from an informal vendor. …

Now playing: Watch this: Apple iOS 4.1 2:08 Just as promised, Apple’s iOS 4.1 went live today for iPhone and iPod Touch users. As iOS updates go, this one is pretty small, but it offers a new camera feature and it finally brings the promised Game Center feature. I posted my initial take last week shortly after Apple CEO Steve …

Some customers of U.K. carrier O2 who upgraded their Dell Streak from Android OS 1.6 to 2.1 are encountering problems. The Register reported that some Streak users have lost features such as Windows Media video playback, PC syncing, and the Facebook widget. Other issues, noted in Dell and O2 forums, include problems with the touch screen, Web browsing and voice …

Mophie has released a version of its Juice Pack Air rechargeable battery case for the iPhone 4, claiming that it will ‘virtually double’ the handset’s battery life. Although the iPhone 4’s battery life is better than that of previous Apple handsets, Web browsing and using GPS, for example, will still wear it down quickly. If Mophie’s claims about battery life are valid — and …

Some O2 customers who’ve upgraded their Dell Streak from Android 1.6 to 2.1 are encountering problems. The Register reported that the operating-system upgrade has actually taken away more than it’s added, with some Streak users reporting that they’ve lost features such as Windows Media Video playback, PC syncing and the Facebook widget. Other issues include problems with the touchscreen, Internet browsing …

Look out Dell, Bonnie is not happy. Your Android smartphone, the Aero, recently passed through her hands and all she can say is that it’s “unintuitive, slow, and limited in functionality.” And don’t forget that it only runs on Android 1.5. Fortunately, Samsung fared better with its Fascinate Galaxy S handset for Verizon Wireless, but plenty of people are miffed …