Android

Google activists try to sabotage Google Glass auction

Since Google announced the names of those who would get the first exemplars of Google Glass, I have been barely able to focus for wondering what Newt Gingrich is doing with his.

I await his new and vital perspective on Washington with rapt excitement.

However, others have resorted to more mundane activities, posting their little Google Glass movies for all to see (and so all can feel their eyes glaze over).

Perhaps the most mundane activity to which some have resorted is to try and make money out of their gadgets.

Before the winners of #IfIHadGlass were even announced, one … Read more

Verizon's Galaxy S4 sign-up page is finally live

Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S4 page is finally live, giving America's largest wireless carrier a way for folks to get in line for what's been the most anticipated new phone of this year so far.

Earlier in the week, Verizon Wireless tweeted that the GS4 would be hitting its 4G LTE network in May and promised that more details would soon be forthcoming.… Read more

How to get your hands on the HTC One

The HTC One, otherwise known as the phone that we're sort of in love with right now, hits various online and retail stores today.

Two carriers that offer the device, AT&T and Sprint, start selling the device today via both their respective online and retail stores.

However, only AT&T carries both storage capacities for the HTC One.

Contract-free carrier T-Mobile also starts selling the handset today, though users can only purchase it online for now. Starting on April 24, it will be available in the carrier's retail stores.

Unfortunately, Verizon will not offer the … Read more

Nexus 5: The likely price, specs, camera tech (video)

When it was first glimpsed, the Nexus 4 looked pretty similar to other smartphones -- quad-core, with a high-res display and a decent camera, and the latest version of Android chucked in for good measure.

What we weren't counting on however was the simply astonishing $299 price, which let smartphone owners working on a budget acquire a phone that was every bit as capable as the Samsung Galaxy S3, but cost half as much. A lack of LTE was painful to bear, but at this cost, who could complain?

Now we're standing on the prow of the good … Read more

HTC One hits retailers today

Consumers eyeing the new HTC One smartphone can finally buy one starting today.

The phone -- which CNET Reviews calls a "beautifully crafted, near-ideal smartphone" -- is now available both online and in several retail stores. Offered by AT&T and Sprint, the HTC One can be purchased directly through both carriers, online, and via their retail outlets. Shoppers will also find the phone at Best Buy, RadioShack, Walmart, Target, Amazon.com, Costco, Car Toys, Sam's Club, HSN.com, and HTC.com.

AT&T is selling the 32GB version of the HTC One for $199 … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 lands at Verizon in May

Verizon subscribers awaiting Samsung's Galaxy S4 will be able to pick one up next month.

The carrier tweeted late yesterday that the S4 will arrive in May, and it promised to reveal more details soon via the Samsung Mobile US Twitter account.

Verizon is the last major U.S. carrier to chime in with a time frame for the Galaxy S4.

Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile recently confirmed that the phone will hit stores later this month. Meanwhile, AT&T and U.S. Cellular kicked off preorders for the S4 this past Tuesday.

Verizon hasn't yet revealed its … Read more

Larry Page: Android powers Google Glass, obviously

Google uses its Android mobile operating system to power its Glass devices, Chief Executive Larry Page confirmed yesterday.

"Obviously Glass runs on Android," Page said toward the end of the conference call reporting Google's strong first-quarter financial results.

It's not a surprise, given how the engineering resources Google already has poured into Android. But the company hadn't confirmed it, even when it detailed Google Glass specifications last week.

Fragmentophobes might freak out that Android is being stretched to yet another device: it's hard enough for programmers to keep up with the diversity in screen … Read more

Motorola's $271M Q1 loss drags on Google's results

Google's Motorola business continues to struggle in the competitive mobile market, posting a loss of $271 million in the first quarter and hurting results at its parent company.

Excluding items, Motorola lost $179 million.

In the year-ago period, Motorola's last report as an independent company, the mobile-devices and TV set-top box manufacturer posted a loss of $86 million. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Motorola's loss totaled $353 million.

Its revenue, meanwhile, came in at $1.02 billion, down from $3.08 billion in the year-earlier period and from $1.51 billion in the fourth quarter. BGC … Read more

Archos throws hat into Android smartphone ring

Archos announced today that it will release its first family of Google smartphones in Europe by the end of May. Each handset will feature dual SIMs, a pure Android OS experience, and cloud storage capabilities.

Its most entry-level device is called the 35 Carbon. For $99.99, it runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, has a 1,300mAh battery, and is powered by a 1GHz processor.

It includes 512GB of RAM, 4GB of ROM, and a microSD card slot that takes cards of up to 32GB. Its 3.5-inch IPS display has a 320x480-pixel resolution, and its rear-facing camera … Read more

Facebook launches new tools for mobile, including Open Graph

Facebook on Thursday announced three new products, including Open Graph for mobile, to boost its presence in the fast-growing smartphone and tablet markets.

The company said in a blog post and at its mobile developer conference in New York that along with making it easier to implement Open Graph on mobile, Facebook also is improving Facebook Login and is releasing a new SDK 3.5 for iOS.

In addition, Facebook also announced a new partner program to help developers integrate Facebook on a variety of mobile platforms. Some early partners include C# SDK for Windows 8 by Microsoft, Corona SDK … Read more