Android fans, say goodbye to bloatware. CNET has recently confirmed with Google that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update will let users disable any application, even those apps that the manufacturer and carrier preinstall as part of their business deals. The ability to shut down unwanted apps also extends to the browser and Gmail. …

The big, robust Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS that Google announced in Hong Kong last night makes Android 2.3 Gingerbread look like an old, stale cookie. We first heard about Ice Cream Sandwich back in May at Google I/O, and even though there have been feature leaks leading up the big unveiling, there was a lot we didn’t see …

Samsung Focus S, Focus Flash (photos) +3 more See all photos So far the Samsung Focus S and Focus Flash have remained shy, but now they’ve gotten over a little of their stage fright. Microsoft offered a good, clear view of the two Windows Phone 7.5 Mango smartphones at D Asia today. There’s no pricing or availability yet, but we …

Now that the dust has started to settle on the Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich unveiling, it’s time to address the update elephant in the room. I don’t blame you if your first question following the event was, “When am I getting Android 4.0 on my phone? Let’s face it, there are potentially millions of users with new or …

commentary Like it or not, chances are that one of your most prized relationships is with your smartphone. You love a phone design or you viscerally hate it; you can’t stand this wallpaper, so you add that one. Your phone’s design or color is a statement of your identity. Like all products it says something about you: you’re hip and …

Watching television doesn’t help babies learn, and may actually be bad for children under two years-old, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. So bad news if your little one is a fan of Bob the Builder. Wired reports that media, whether in the background or intended to educate, can “have potentially negative effects and no known positive effects for …

Samsung today makes the proud boast that its Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 Android smart phones have together found their way into 30 million pockets. Samsung reached the 10 million mark for its flagship Galaxy S2 phone faster than any other device in its range. The older Galaxy S has so far totted up nearly 20 million sales, making it …

Samsung Electronics and Google took the wraps off the Galaxy Nexus, the latest Android handset to carry the flagship smartphone moniker. Samsung The smartphone, unveiled at a Samsung event in Hong Kong today, marks the debut of the latest version of Android, known as Ice Cream Sandwich (each iteration of Android is named after a dessert). For Samsung, the introduction …

Samsung’s free messaging service is here. ChatON is the feature-packed rival to BlackBerry Messenger and Apple iMessage, and unlike those services it works on any Android phone. Samsung may be behind ChatON, but you can download and use it on any Android phone or tablet, or on your browser. It’s an instant messenger service like AIM, GChat or Facebook Chat, …

NEW YORK–Motorola is taking on Apple’s iPod Nano with the Motoactv, an Android-based media player designed specifically for people who work out. The company announced the new device at a press conference here Tuesday. Like the iPod Nano, the Motoactv has a touch screen roughly about 1 square inch. It has an FM radio. But it offers much more than …