Mobile 
Justin Miller
apple 
MartinYahoo Axis: A surprisingly fresh take on mobile browsers
Yahoo announced the launch of a new mobile browser on Thursday: Yahoo Axis is available in the iTunes App Store for iOS devices and will be supported on other mobile platforms in the future. An Axis plugin for HTML5 browsers on the desktop allows for browsing sessions and searches to be synchronized from smartphone to computer. With Axis, Yahoo is attempting to turn the browser from “destination to companion.” I was leery when I heard the news about Axis, mainly because Yahoo’s mobile strategy...
MobileVerizon Wireless intros video service Viewdini
Verizon Wireless is unveiling a new app today exclusive to Android called Viewdini. It’s a search engine that aggregates video content from a number of services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, mSpot and Comcast’s Xfinity and showcases featured content that samples from each of them. The peculiar part is that this isn’t an app coming from any regular developers or from Google itself — it’s from a carrier. The carriers have been crying for years about how data should be capped and throttled because...
IntoMobile
Nokia Lumia 900 a top buy from Consumer Reports
When it comes to Windows Phone devices, the Lumia 900 is king. Our own Marin Perez gave the device an overall score of 8 out of 10 when he reviewed the Lumia 900 back in April, and those of us fortunate enough to have gotten our hands on the device came away very impressed. Nokia has managed to impress more than just us with its flagship Lumia Windows Phone device, however. In addition to Siri thinking it’s the best thing since sliced bread, the Lumia 900 has earned a top mark from the trusted...
HTC fills in more blanks about Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates
HTC has been pretty good about letting users know when their handsets will be receiving the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update and has just released more details for a handful of phones. With almost 20 handsets detailed with a time estimate, most of the handsets will be surfing on the latest version of the operating system by June. If you’re rocking a Droid Incredible 2, Thunderbolt, or Desire HD, you could be waiting until August before you receive the update. By that time, Android 5.0...
Xfinity Voice 2Go bridges the gap between mobile, VoIP and home phones
Comcast took the opportunity at The Cable Show 2012 to introduce some new features for its Xfinity Voice service, dubbed Voice 2Go. The end goal is to bring the perks you enjoy with your smartphone to your landline. It all starts with an app that's available on iOS and Android (in both phone and tablet-friendly formats) that functions similarly to Google Voice. The Xfinity Connect Mobile app allows you to send and receive texts on your mobile device through your home phone number and forward...
Engadget Mobil...New OmniVision 16-megapixel camera sensors could record 4K, 60 fps video on your smartphone
Nokia has reportedly been dreaming of PureView phones with 4K video; as of today, OmniVision is walking the walk quite a bit earlier. The 16-megapixel resolution of the OV16820 and OV16825 is something we've seen before, but it now has a massive amount of headroom for video. If your smartphone or camcorder has the processing grunt to handle it, either of the sensors can record 4K (3840 x 2160, to be exact) video at a super-smooth 60 fps, or at the camera's full 4608 x 3456 if you're willing to...
Nokia axes Skype client on Lumia 610, claims user experience wasn't 'up to par'
It took nearly a full month, but Nokia has finally been convinced that Skype is indeed incompatible with low-memory Windows Phones. In reaching out to a spokesperson, the company confirmed to us that it has decided to yank the official client from the Marketplace on the Lumia 610. The device -- which utilizes a scant 256MB of RAM -- originally allowed the service to be downloaded despite Skype's claims that 512MB was the minimum amount of memory required for the app to function properly. The...
Samsung: Galaxy S III not designed by lawyers
To say that people were less-enthused about Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy S III is an understatement. Simply put, people expected more. Folks were so disappointed with the new look, that many speculated the phone was designed by lawyers so Samsung can avoid being litigated from infringing Apple’s patents. Well, Samsung design VP Chang Dong-hoon ended all accusations that the Galaxy S III was designed “by lawyers.” The Samsung executive said that the redesign is part of the company’s...
Motorola shows three all-touch Android 4.0 phones in China, we see a possible Verizon model
It turns out that Motorola didn't want to wait until the Google deal closed -- or, for that matter, an American launch -- to undertake a significant revamp of its phone line. A quiet Chinese event last week is now known to have brought us three RAZR-derived, all-touch phones for the three carriers in the Asian country: the XT885 for China Unicom (pictured at left), XT889 for China Telecom (center) and MT887 for China Mobile (right). Other than the network types and pretty bits, you're mostly...
German Gameduell and Latin America’s Vostu join GetJar Gold Virtual Currency
GetJar’s GetJar Gold Virtual Currency program just got two new members – German Gameduell and Latin America’s Vostu. The first company is best known for their two games – Fluffy Birds and Jungle Jewels, while the second one makes Elemental and Candy Dash. If you haven’t followed our previous posts on GetJar Gold Virtual Currency, you should know it’s made to allow developers to monetize their Android apps, while providing end-users with an alternative way to pay for their content and in-app...
TiVo streaming coming to iOS later this summer
At the 2012 NCTA Cable show that kicked off yesterday in Boston, TiVo announced a new device that will transcode your content for viewing on iPhone and iPad devices. The TiVo stream will be available for purchase later this summer, and connects to a TiVo Premiere or Premiere Q DVR and delivers that content to tablets and mobile devices. TiVo generically references tablets and mobile devices, but specifically names the iPhone and iPad, suggesting the product will first be made available for iOS...
Google buys Mike & Maaike, the company that helped design the XBOX 360
Google announced their intent to buy Motorola Mobility in August 2011. It took nine months for the deal to close, but it’s finally done. Brad Stone and Peter Burrows published an article in Bloomberg Businessweek that’s a must read if you’re interested in the background of this major acquisition and want to know why it’s important. The piece is three pages long, which might turn some of you off, so here are some of the highlights: “Apple CEO Tim Cook had been trying to poach Woodside [the new...
Google finalizes its acquisition of Motorola Mobility
Google announced today that is has acquired Motorola Mobility for $40 per share in cash (about $12.5 billion). Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha will step down as Motorola Mobility CEO and will be replaced by Dennis Woodside, former President of Google’s Americas region. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate company. The now-acquired company will continue to focus on Android and mobile devices. Google CEO Larry Page writes, “It’s a great time to be in the mobile business, and I’m confident that...
Sidecar comes out of beta, reinvents phone calls
Smartphones have revolutionized how we communicate and the way we create, share and consume content. Yet there's one aspect of using these devices that remains stuck in the last millennium, and that's the calling experience -- yes, apparently some people still make phone calls. Sure, there are plenty of VoIP and video calling apps out there, but few are simple and beautiful. Enter Sidecar, a free app which aims to reinvent the way we make phone calls by adding messaging as well as real-time...
Hulu delivers 10 new original shows for summer, iOS app update with iPad retina display support
As the temperatures heat up, the availability of new network TV programming is falling off as it does every year, and Hulu is taking advantage of the lull to amp up its offerings of original content with ten new shows this summer. The shows include selections like Kevin Smith's Spoilers which is a chat about the summer's films, travel series Up To Speed and playground basketball comedy We Got Next. All ten shows are set to debut throughout the summer on both the free Hulu and paid Hulu Plus...
Qualcomm snatches AMD’s former CTO, puts him in charge of supercharging graphics
Advanced Micro Devices, better known as AMD, is Intel’s only real competitor. They have less than 20% of the market, which should give you a clue as to how they’re doing. Back in 2006 they decided to buy ATI, a company that was widely known for their graphics processors. The goal they set out to achieve was to integrate their processors with ATI’s processors into what today is known as a system on chip. Now ATI also had a mobile graphics division, which AMD decided to sell to Qualcomm in late...
Virgin Mobile USA unveils new $40 Unlimited Talk and Text plan for feature phone users
Virgin Mobile unveiled a new payLo plan for feature phone users who just want to text and talk with their buddies, though some mobile data also comes included. As you can guess for yourself, the $40 Unlimited Talk and Text plan comes with unlimited voice minutes and messages (text, picture, email and/or IM) plus 50MB of Web access. As such, this plan is ideal with devices like the Samsung M575 or Kyocera S2300, both of which rock a QWERTY keyboard that can turn you into a texting maniac. As...
Sony Xperia U goes on sale at Three UK
We've been twiddling our thumbs waiting patiently for the littlest of Sony's new-look smartphone lineup, the Xperia U, to arrive in earnest. It's a bit of a relief then to see the Android 2.3 phone go on sale at Three UK. You'll be getting what we saw back in Barcelona, including Sony's Timescape interface and the trick color light-up strip. We're guessing that most will see the cheap-as-chips price as the real selling point: the Xperia U costs £170 ($269) without a plan, and it's free as in...
PSA: Marketplace for Windows Mobile 6.x shuts down today
Still rockin' Windows Mobile 6.x? Time to check all your apps for updates one last time. Microsoft has issued a final reminder that, beginning today, the Marketplace for 6.x devices will no longer be available. This means you won't be able to browse, buy or download apps from your phone via the service. Everything you already have will, of course, work just fine, but if you needed to reinstall something -- now is the time to do it. Unless it's available direct from third party sites, in which...
Exploit uses firewalls to hijack smartphones, turns friends into foes
Normally, firewalls at cellular carriers are your best friends, screening out malware before it ever touches your phone. University of Michigan computer science researchers have found that those first lines of defense could be your enemy through a new exploit. As long as a small piece of malware sits on a device, that handset can infer TCP data packet sequence numbers coming from the firewall and hijack a phone's internet traffic with phishingsites, fake messages or other rogue code. The trick...
MetroPCS and T-Mobile want Dish to give up half of its wireless spectrum, worry about AT&T and Verizon swooping in
Dish Network might not start up its LTE-based 4G network until as late as 2016, but that hasn't stopped MetroPCS and T-Mobile from jointly telling the FCC that the would-be carrier needs to make some concessions for small carriers to rest easy. Both of the complaints have a common proposal that would see Dish give up 20MHz of its 40MHz space in the 2GHz range to prevent the satellite giant from using its abundant airwaves as part of a cash grab: MetroPCS and T-Mobile are worried Dish will just...
Electric Motor Werks hands-on at Maker Faire (video)
Have a BMW 3-Series that requires major engine work? Want to convert it to electric and improve performance, ActiveE style? The folks at Electric Motor Werks have you covered. Instead of making purpose-built electric cars, the company -- which showed a converted 3-Series sedan and coupé at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012 -- provides affordable and environmentally responsible electric conversion kits for the BMW E46. These are available directly to consumers but Electric Motor Werks is also building a...
Inrix Traffic 4 for iOS helps drivers avoid traffic congestion and estimate arrival times (video)
Love driving but hate traffic? We hear you, and so do the people at Inrix. While the company might not come to the forefront of your mind when you consider the crowded world of navigation solutions, Inrix is a significant player in the field -- even if much of its presence exists behind the scenes. The company collects and analyzes data points from nearly 100 million sources, and now it's putting that information to work with Inrix Traffic 4 for iOS. In addition to helping users avoid...
HTC One S teardown leaves little to the imagination (video)
Whether you're looking to replace a damaged screen, swap a battery, or just make damn sure that the warranty of your HTC One S is void, DirectFix can help with its latest teardown video. This is the first time that we've seen a detailed inner peek at the smartphone itself, and those who appreciate fine craftsmanship are sure to dig this one. To get deep within the phone, you'll need a nylon spudger, a Torx T5 and precision Phillips screwdriver, along with steady hands and -- if the display's...
Amazon Appstore's Test Drive try before you buy feature now available on Android phones
When Amazon's Appstore initially appeared on the Android scene last year, one of its most innovative features was a Test Drive virtual machine that let users try out apps for free from their desktop, and now that technology has come back to the handset. In the newest update pushed today and pictured above, release-2.6.53 adds beta support for the cloud-based Test Drive feature to let users try out new software within the Appstore app itself. According to the description the feature is enabled...
Virgin Mobile adds $40 payLo unlimited plan for talk and text types
Virgin Mobile's feature phone arm just added a third tier, delivering unlimited talk and texting, along with 50 megs of web access for $40 per month. This offering joins Sprint's other payLo budget offerings, including an entry-level option that includes 400 minutes of talk time for $20 per month, and a $30 monthly plan that delivers 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts and 30MB of data. Overage charges are quite hefty, at $0.10 per minute, $0.25 per message and $1.50 per MB (ouch!), with the option to...
HTC EVO 4G LTE phones pass Customs; on way to Sprint customers
Supplies of the HTC EVO 4G LTE are reportedly through U.S. Customs and on the way to Sprint stores as well as customers. The Inside Sprint Now blog, run by a person in Sprint’s customer service division, noted that the Android phones are now in Sprint warehouses and will be delivered by May 24. As of 5pm CT, Sprint won’t be accepting pre-order cancellations according to the site, although Sprint hasn’t officially made such statements at time of writing. If true, this is good news for Sprint,...
Amazon puts Samsung Galaxy S III up for US pre-orders, offers a slice of quad-core, unlocked utopia
Sufficiently enamored with Samsung's Galaxy S III that you've got to have one in the US before anyone else, and you don't want it sullied by carrier customizations in the trip across the Pacific? Amazon has your back with pre-orders for 16GB versions in both Marble White and Pebble Blue. Either will keep the speedy Exynos 4 Quad and will stay unlocked, so you can hop networks to your heart's content. Do expect to pay a steep premium for being the first kid on your block: at $800, you're...
Sprint to begin shipping the HTC EVO 4G LTE for arrival 'on or around' May 24th, pre-orders get first dib
We can't be certain as to how many units of the HTC EVO 4G LTE have made it out of customs thus far, but it appears the number is high enough for Sprint to officially set a date for shipping the device out to those who pre-ordered it online. A Sprint representative reached out to us to share the company's statement from this afternoon that customers should expect to receive their valuable treasure "on or around" May 24th. We're not in love with the "around" terminology, but this could simply be...
Of myths and 41-megapixel sensors: Nokia looks back on the 808 PureView (video)
It's a tale as old as the introduction of the 808 PureView, itself. Something about a bar and Tokyo and scribbling ingenious ideas on a napkin -- you know, the same 'ol humble origin story that seems to surround every impactful creation. Spoon-fed mythology aside, Nokia's decided to shift things into meta mode by composing a making of mini-doc for its hump-backed Symbian Belle cameraphone shot entirely with that much-ballyhooed 41-megapixel sensor (insert feigned amazement here). If you haven't...
ITC says again that Apple and RIM don't violate Kodak patent
Kodak hasn't caught a break lately, and that trend isn't easing up any time soon with a second rejection arriving in its main International Trade Commission (ITC) patent dispute with Apple and RIM. Despite having had its case remanded after a loss last year, Kodak is once more being told that BlackBerrys and iPhones don't violate a patent on previewing photos. The one violation was rendered moot through "obviousness," according to administrative law judge Thomas Pender. It's still an initial...
O2 UK offers Samsung Galaxy Note and Galaxy Y in Olympics versions, S Javelin sadly missing
Are you so enthused with the 2012 Olympics that special tablets and non-stop TV coverage won't fully scratch the itch? O2 UK is letting you flaunt your British competitive pride every time you check Twitter by selling Olympic editions of Samsung's Galaxy Note and Galaxy Y. Either comes with a choice to drape your Android gear in a Union Jack or the Team Great Britain logo. If cosmetic patriotism isn't enough, O2 is making it meaningful by contributing £1 from every sale to future athlete...
Sony Music Unlimited comes to iPhone with streaming music app
Android and PlayStation Vita owners have felt the Music Unlimited love on their respective devices for quite some time now, but the Spotify / MOG / Rdio competitor has finally made its way to the App Store, bringing with it yet another option for streaming music on iOS. The free app appears to be optimized for iPhone and iPod touch (though it's also compatible with iPad), and will enable on-the-go jammin' with a $4-per-month Basic subscription over 3G, 4G or WiFi connections. You can pull in...
Qualcomm hires former AMD CTO, makes 'em pay for dropping mobile
Qualcomm is hiring AMD's former CTO Eric Demers to help the company produce a blockbuster mobile graphics chip. It needs the silicon for its big push for smartphone dominance (and tablets running Windows RT) in the face of strong competition from Imagination Technologies' Series 6 PowerVR and NVIDIA's Tegra 3. Demers' first job will be to merge Qualcomm's in-house Adreno team with ATI's Imageon mobile graphics chip team, which AMD flogged off for $65 million back in 2009 -- a move Sunnyvale is...
Verizon purportedly giving DROID 4, RAZR and Rezound 'global' designation via software update (update: confirmed)
There's one major drawback that jet-setters and globetrotters utilizing one of Verizon's current LTE handsets must deal with: the lack of a GSM radio frequency. It's true, while CDMA and LTE have carved out a place for themselves here in the States, when the rubber literally meets the road (or tarmac), it's a GSM world we're living in. With that in mind, it appears as though Verizon is planning to make several of its current smartphones a bit more cosmopolitan by enabling the "global"...
Nokia Lumia 900 Camera Extension app previewed in Hong Kong (video)
You're looking at Camera Extension: a new app for the Lumia 900 that, er, extends the phone's camera function by adding burst, timer and panorama modes plus, most notably, a smart group shot feature. The latter takes five pictures in five seconds, then cuts out the heads and lets you swap 'em out in the same way that BB 10's Timeline Lens (amongst others) works. Will the app bring you out in goofy smiles? Find out in the video after the break, where WeLoveWindowsPhone.hk gives it a go.Continue...