Monday, March 31, 2014

Galaxy S5 display tested, found to be the best ever

Dr. Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate puts the Galaxy S5 display through a heap of tests, and proclaims it king of the smartphones.

Pokemon invade Google Maps for April Fools

Google is showing off a Pokemon augmented reality game in its latest April Fool's Day prank.

Google cracks down on shady ads and app-promotion tactics in Google Play

Google makes developers responsible for keeping scammy stuff like simulated system alerts and sudden redirects out of their apps. The company also sets curbs on pornography.

9 stylish wearables that won't make you look like a high-tech dork

OK, it's not like Gucci is getting into the smartwatch business. But this wearable tech actually adopts a fashion-forward aesthetic.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Expo Notes: Livescribe hopes to make the pen mightier in the digital age

The smartpen maker came to Macworld/iWorld to show off its Livescribe 3 smartpen and tout the third-party apps that now work with the smartpen.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Expo Notes: Sit or stand, the Ergotron’s WorkFit works both ways

Standing desks are growing in popularity, and the WorkFit lets you switch between standing or sitting.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Wearables, projectables, Office for iPad, and Oculus

Office comes to iPad, but does it matter? Also, the future of wearables and projectables, and Facebook buys a nice pair of VR glasses.

Now you can buy a computer-powered rifle on the Internet with Bitcoins

Texas-based TrackingPoint is now accepting Bitcoin for weapons purchases. It's not the first time you could buy guns with Bitcoin, but it might be the first time you could do it legally.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

HTC execs say it's not too late for a do-over: One-on-one with the president of HTC America

We talked to key HTC executives about the new HTC One (M8) and how the company plans to get back on consumers' radars.

Twitter adds photo-sharing features as Instagram nips at the network’s heels

The social network now lets you tag photos and tweet multiple images without using up your 140 precious characters.

Oculus Pissed? Here are 6 Facebook-free virtual reality alternatives

There's plenty of interest in VR from other companies, but no solid options yet.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Facebook's Oculus VR buy is about much more than gaming

CEO Zuckerberg sees virtual reality as the next major computing platform

Facebook’s Oculus buy is a bet on the future of computing

Why would a social network buy a virtual reality headset manufacturer? Because VR is the next big platform.

Meet the camera features in the new HTC One (M8)

From two cameras on the backside to an improved front-facing camera, there's plenty for mobile shutterbugs to love about HTC's latest smartphone.

Hands on with the new HTC One (M8)

The One has all the makings of a winner with the second-generation One. We used it, and came away impressed.

Amazon sends money to Kindle readers affected by e-book price-fixing scandal

If you bought a lot of bestsellers, you could see a hefty credit on your Amazon account on Tuesday.

HTC announces the HTC One (M8) with dual cameras and fancy gesture controls

HTC improves its industrial design, along with new depth-of-field camera tricks, and a gesture-sensing user interface.

HTC announces the HTC One (M8), a 5-inch handset with dual cameras and sensing gesture controls

HTC improves its industrial design, along with new depth-of-field camera tricks, and a gesture-sensing user interface.

HTC announces the new HTC One (M8), a 5-inch handset with dual cameras

HTC has improved industrial design, bumped up screen size, and added a removable storage slot for its flagship phone.

How to use Tumblr's new two-factor authentication

Tumblr joins a large number of online services that are making it harder for hackers to break into your account thanks to two-factor authentication.

Hands-on with the new mobile Sonos apps

We've tested the beta versions of the new Sonos controllers and come away impressed.

If Google Glass is just a 'prototype' why is it pairing up with luxury sports eyewear?

Patience, patience, young Explorer. Tomorrow's Glass will be more fashionable than today's.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Panasonic brings 4K to wearable action camcorders

The HX-A500 can be looped around your ear for a high-resolution, first-person view of anything from watersports to mountain climbing

Google Glass may get more stylish with help from Oakley and Ray-Ban

The fashion and luxury brands will help Google design and market Glass

Rumor check: everything we think we know about the All New HTC One

HTC's next flagship device will be upon us soon. Here's what we know so far.

Hands-on: Link Bubble rethinks in-app Android links to save you serious time

A new Android app borrows Facebook's Chat Heads idea and puts it to good use to save you time.

Why Google Glass security remains a work in progress

University researchers develop spyware for Glass that snaps pictures and sends them to a remote server

Wearable snake oil: The search for automatic calorie-intake tracking in fit-tech wristbands

It's the 'holy grail' of activity-tracking wristbands, but critics say no defensible technology allows activity-tracking wristbands to automatically tell us how many calories are in the food we eat.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Friday, March 21, 2014

Netflix CEO knocks Comcast in call for stronger net neutrality rules

The streaming media service may be getting improved speeds from Comcast now that it's paying for direct access to the ISP's network, but Reed Hastings doesn't sound too thrilled with the arrangement.

Google myth-busts the nonsense that 'Glass is ready for prime time'

Today's Glass Explorer edition will eventually look like a quaint relic of yesteryear, Google shares in a 10-point, myth-busting blog.

Can’t stop the tweets: Turkey tries and fails to block Twitter

Graffiti artists are spray-painting DNS addresses on Turkish walls, as citizens use everything from VPNs to the Tor anonymous network to get around the Turkish government's attempted censorship of Twitter.

How to avoid data overages on your Android phone

Got sticker shock looking at your monthly bill? You may have gobbled up too much data. Here's how to deal with that.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Wickr wants to spread its spy-level encryption to your favorite games and apps

The encrypted messaging app is selling its security tools to other companies to make money—and to make your information safer.

Twitter's birthday celebration of first tweets proves no one starts good at Twitter

Every person’s first tweet was boring. That reminder might encourage new users to explore Twitter’s potential.

Ouch: Fitbit Force owner files a class-action lawsuit for skin-rash problems

The wearables company has already issued a full recall of its activity-tracking wristband. And now this.

Developers can't wait to get their apps on Android Wear

App makers are running at the opportunity to develop for Google's newly released wearables platform.

Compact breath sniffer could warn of diabetes

Toshiba's medical breath analyzer can check your fat metabolism

Price of round displays will make or break Moto 360's mainstream success

Motorola's planning a bold look for its smartwatch based on Android Wear. But will a circular form factor drive up the cost?

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Healthbook, Android Wear, and a haunted empire

The rise of health-related apps and devices, questions of the relevance of App.net, the new book "Haunted Empire" about Apple after Steve Jobs, and an avalanche of smartwatches spurred on by Android Wear announcements. With guests Christopher Breen and Philip Michaels.

Moto 360 aims to hit the 'whoah' mark with a bold smartwatch fashion statement

Motorola's Jim Wicks describes the inspiration for the smartwatch's circular display, but dangles very few tidbits of specificity about the new device.

Twitter reportedly drops plan to encrypt direct messages

The Verge reports that Twitter’s end-to-end encryption for DMs is done—for now. Why are social networks dragging their feet on security measures?

Meet the Project Morpheus VR headset, the PlayStation 4's answer to Oculus Rift

The rumors were true: Sony is bringing a virtual reality headset to the PlayStation 4. And it works even if you wear glasses.

How Samsung can still win the looming smartwatch wars in an Android Wear world

Google's smartwatch OS looks breathtaking, but there's still a path for Samsung's Gear devices to capture the public's imagination.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Android Wear walkthrough offers a sneak peek into the future of wearables, Google-style

Rectangular screens are so...square. Buttons? We've moved beyond that. See this and more in Android Police's SDK teardown.

Android Wear smartwatches coming from Motorola, LG

One is round, the other is square, and they're both coming to a wrist near you.

Meet Android Wear, Google's bid to bring serious productivity to smartwatches

Two videos show the promise of a 'Google Now' watch—and it looks absolutely spectacular.

iPad 2 bids us farewell, is replaced by fourth-generation Retina model

Apple's venerable iPad 2, first introduced in 2011, has finally ridden off into the sunset. The fourth-generation iPad with Retina display replaces it at the $399 price point.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Driving with data: MetroMile app is nice, but the pay-per-mile insurance is the real draw

Lucky residents of Illinois, Oregon, and Washington can save money on auto insurance if they use this app (and drive wisely). The rest of us have to wait.

How GOQii aims to reinvent wearable fit-tech with an army of personal wellness advisors

Is that an instant message? No, it's your life coach giving you a "remote high-five" for exceeding your step-count goals.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Report: Google thwarted Motorola's attempts to build the ultimate Google phone

The Google-Motorola marriage wasn't exactly a match made in Heaven, a new report suggests.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Move over Veronica Mars: These crowdfunded projects also raked in big bucks

Veronica Mars hits theaters today, thanks to fans who helped fund the movie via Kickstarter. We look at ten other crowdfunding success stories.

Samsung smartphone add-ons help the blind 'see' the world

Ultrasonic cover and document-scanning stand help users navigate the physical world.

Nokia adds Refocus feature to all Lumias

The Refocus app lets users take a photo and later choose what they want in focus

Hands-on preview: The new Crazy Taxi is actually pretty calm

Good news: Sega's developing a new entry in its classic Crazy Taxi franchise. Bad news: It's a not-so-great mobile game.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Auto-playing video ads arrive in your News Feed

Facebook is hoping high-quality videos will help you forget all about the auto-playing part.

T-Mobile trumpets its continued LTE coverage rollout

The carrier plans to replace all its 2G/Edge coverage with LTE, and start rolling out LTE on 700MHz A-Block spectrum.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Clockwise Podcast 28: Music, video, and point-one interfaces

Music subscription services, iOS 7's increasingly customizable user interface options, how movies and TV are faring in the war on piracy, and Microsoft relents with changes to Windows 8.1.

Surveillance, Snowden dominated discussions at a more serious South by Southwest

This year’s festival reflected a shift from sharing to security as the dominant trend in technology today.

Sensors look to put a step in immersive gaming

Reflx Labs’ Boogio wants to make any shoe a smart shoe by using a sensor insole and 3D accelerometer. Target markets include gaming and diagnostics.

Have Xbox, will travel: Dual HDMI in 2014 Dodge Durango lets you bring your game

Can your car play Titanfall? Dual HDMI ports and dual displays mean this one can.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Desktop app helps turn your voice into songs

Imitone aims to replace the amateur musician's MIDI keyboard

Cosinuss in-ear sports monitor tracks your heart rate, no chest band required

Future models could also include sensors to monitor blood oxygen saturation and core body temperature