phones

Should you wait for the mythical Motorola X Phone?

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 finally getting into the hands of some consumers, we must once again return to that persistent question that smartphone and gadget lovers never stop asking: what's next?

With word that Apple won't be releasing any new hardware until the fall and the HTC One and Galaxy S4 just released, the answer seems to be "not much" -- at least not for the next few months.

However, dancing on the far edges of the horizon in this summer's blockbuster smartphone void is a magical unicorn of a device whose legend grows stronger and more far-fetched with each passing day -- and with each hyperbolic comment loosed from Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt's lips. I am speaking, of course, of the mythical Motorola "X Phone."… Read more

The 404 1,260: Where we work out the bugs (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Greenheart Games takes ironic aim at pirates.

- Samsung Galaxy S4 India launch weirdly tries "Gangnam Style."

- Original iPhone reportedly to be "obsolete" on June 11.

Bathroom break video: News reporter gets owned.… Read more

Microsoft wants beta testers for new Win Phone Facebook app

Microsoft is seeking beta testers for a refreshed version of the official Facebook app for Windows Phone, which was developed by Microsoft in conjunction with Facebook.

Microsoft officials blogged on April 30 that the company is seeking testers for the refreshed Facebook app for Windows Phone 8. The beta isn't available via the Windows Store (to avoid confusion, according to the Softies). Instead, the beta is available via this link.

The refreshed Facebook app is "undergoing a major redesign," according to the blog post, and will include several "much-requested" features, including support for high-res photos, … Read more

Capture screenshots of entire pages with Barry for iOS

This may be a post only a tech blogger could love, but if you have the need to take screenshots of entire, full-length Web pages on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, please continue reading.

It's easy to take a screenshot on an iOS device by pressing the sleep/wake button and Home button simultaneously. But what if you want to capture an entire Web page, beyond what is merely visible on the screen? Enter Barry Webpage Screenshot, a 99-cent app that lets you easily capture entire Web pages.

There are two ways to capture an entire Web page … Read more

Samsung M400 does simple cell phone duties

If you're looking for a simple cell phone on Sprint, the Samsung M400 could do the trick. Configured as a flip phone, the silver handset has a small external display that shows the battery level, time, and alerts. Inside, a 2.4-inch screen navigates you around.

The M400 has a 1.3-megapixel camera launched by a dedicated hardware button on the side; there are personal essentials like an alarm clock, speakerphone, and browser; and in-case-of-emergency (ICE) settings round out the intentionally limited feature set. It also supports Bluetooth 3.0 for pairing with headsets and transferring photos.

As for … Read more

Vine adds front-facing camera functionality

Twitter said today that it has updated its stand-alone Vine mobile app to allow users to shoot video with both their front- and rear-facing cameras.

In a blog post, Twitter also said that Vine users now can tag someone in a post, meaning that people can, for example, shoot a video with a friend and add that person's name, or Twitter handle, in the post.

With the old version, users could only use the rear-facing cameras on their iPhones. Also, while it was possible to enter someone's name or Twitter ID in the associated text of a Vine … Read more

Original iPhone reportedly to be obsolete on June 11

The original iPhone will soon leave its current "vintage" status and become an obsolete product in Apple's eyes, according to an internal document seen by blog site 9to5 Mac.

This change is slated to happen on June 11, 2013, which means that on this date people with the original iPhone will no longer be able to get it repaired or otherwise serviced.

The change will take place for consumers in the Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America regions, and in Apple's retail stores, according to the document, but the original iPhone will remain in vintage status for … Read more

iPhone delay could spell gloom for Apple, analyst says

Apple's tried and true habit of releasing one iPhone a year is not lost on consumers, who typically buy the least number of the devices in the quarter just before the new model goes on sale.

But if Apple were to extend its usual turnaround time this year, it could seriously ding Apple's share in what's become a multi-horse smartphone race, says Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi.

In a note to investors on Monday, Sacconaghi said he expects the iPhone's market share among smartphones to go from about 17 percent down to 12 percent in the … Read more

The 404 1,259: Where we blow smoke up your tower (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- With few other outlets, inmates review prisons on Yelp.

- SF cops going undercover to stop stolen iPhone sales.

- Smoking near Apple computers voids warranty.… Read more

New Windows Phone ad has a laugh at Apple-Samsung fight

If you've never been to a wedding that ended in a punch-up, you really haven't lived.

There's always something so bracing in seeing people devolve to their true, animal state, drunk and flailing their fists.

Someone at Microsoft clearly has recent experience with such a thing, as the company Monday released a new ad that describes the constant spat between fanpersons of Apple and Samsung as a battle between two tribes of the insane.

We are at a wedding. Everything seems fine, until someone with a very large Galaxy phone gets in the way of someone with … Read more