The Triflat Xperia theme has sleek, colorful style. Brian Bennett/CNET Love your new Xperia phone’s water-proof design but not so much its software UI? Apparently Sony feels your pain. The company has been at it again, touting the virtues of its Xperia Theme Android skins. First announced as part of Sony’s Xperia phone upgrade to …
Read More »Classic Layout
Prince: You can’t get down with technology in your hand
Getting down is a little like getting up. You have to free yourself from all mental concerns. You have to liberate yourself from your cocoon of safety. And you have to believe that once you start moving, the world will accept you for who you are. How, though, can you possibly get down with a phone in your hand? This …
Read More »Paym transfers money to a phone number, no bank details needed
LDprod/Shutterstock Not keen on handing out your bank details when your friends owe you some money? Want to split a bill with buddies but don’t know their numbers? Nine UK banks have signed up to Paym, which launches in spring and lets you send money to someone from your phone knowing only their phone number. Paym, pronounced ‘pay-em’, lets you …
Read More »HTC One successor pops up in online photo gallery
The successor to the HTC One is on display yet again through a series of leaked photos. Sarah Tew/CNET The all new HTC One has showed itself off yet again, albeit unofficially, through new photos leaked online. Posted Sunday on a Chinese Weibo site as reported by French tech news site NowhereElse.fr, the latest series of photos reveal the front, …
Read More »Samsung Galaxy S5 could be stung by Korean carrier ban
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Andrew Hoyle/CNET Samsung’s Galaxy S5 might have some trouble getting out of the gate when it hits store shelves next month. Samsung plans to launch the Galaxy S5 in Korea on April 11. But on Friday, South Korea’s communications watchdogs instituted a 45-day ban, starting this week and extending to May 19, that bars the country’s carriers …
Read More »Verizon CFO: Abandoning subsidies would be a mistake
Verizon has dipped its toes in the installment plan option with its Edge program, but the carrier’s CFO sees the subsidy model as still the safer option. In a presentation Monday at a Deutsche Bank conference, Verizon Communications Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo talked about the intricacies of offering customers subsidized phones versus those paid off via an installment plan. …
Read More »The one real problem with Republic Wireless
Sorry, Republic Wireless users: You can’t yet receive short-code text messages like this one. Southwest Airlines Republic Wireless has attracted a lot of attention in recent months by offering one of the most attractive smartphone deals ever: a $299 Motorola Moto X and no-contract service for as little as $5 monthly. I’ve been using the phone and service for over …
Read More »This holographic iPhone 6 concept could change everything
Like a holodeck in your pocket. Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET Over the years, I’ve taken some heat for saying that the iPhone jumped the shark years ago or predicting that the iPhone 6 will be more run of the mill than a runaway hit. So far, I’ve yet to see anything on the horizon that will prompt me to …
Read More »Samsung videos give in
Samsung introduced the Gear Fit at MWC 2014. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Samsung’s giving us a closer look at its newest smartphone and wearables. The Korean electronics giant released a couple videos for the Galaxy S5, Gear 2, and Gear Fit to give users an in-depth look at some features of the new devices. Samsung frequently crams so many capabilities into its …
Read More »Google paves the way for more wearable apps
CNET Update finds these drones stunning. Now playing: Watch this: Google paves the way for more wearable apps 2:52 In this episode of CNET Update: Get ready for more Android apps that work on smartwatches. Google is launching a software development kit for Android on wearable gadgets. Update to iOS 7.1, now that Apple added new features and bug fixes …
Read More »