In a message coming straight from the horse’s mouth (via something known as “Twitter”), Motorola has promised to update its Android handsets to the newest version of the software—4.0, or “Ice Cream Sandwich”—within six weeks of its official release by Google. The promise came in direct response to a Twitter user who was concerned …
Smartphones
Researchers Fine-Tune Android to Lock Apps Based on Location
Admit it: Sometimes you like to pretend that you’re a spy who has some sensitive material on your cellphone that just can’t fall into the wrong hands. Well, if you have an Android phone, some Virginia Tech researchers can help you out with that.
According to Jules White, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and …
10 Important Themes Covered in the New ‘Steve Jobs’ Book
Walter Isaacson’s aptly-titled Steve Jobs book is available today and, at 650+ pages, it’s a doozy. If you’re looking to hone in on a particular section of the biography, here’s a roundup of recent articles from around the web that highlight various themes presented throughout the book:
On design:
WATCH: 60 Minutes Segment with ‘Steve Jobs’ Book Author
In case you hadn’t heard, Walter Isaacson’s new book, Steve Jobs, is available today. Isaacson is the former managing editor of TIME Magazine, and the much-anticipated biography is based on more than 40 exclusive interviews conducted with Jobs over two years.
In a segment on 60 Minutes last night, Isaacson recalled numerous interviews …
Virtual Supermarket Lets Commuters Shop in Subway Station
The one thing nobody wants to do after a long day of work is schlep to the supermarket and fight the crowds grabbing groceries for dinner. Commuters in Seoul, however, now have a different option—shopping by smartphone in the virtual grocery store in the Seolleung underground station.
It works like this: Photos of hundreds of …
Verizon Wireless: Smartphone Sales Up, iPhone Sales Down in Q3
Everyone may be talking about Apple’s iPhone 4S right now, but Android may be the mobile OS that is actually taking over America, with Verizon Wireless reporting that half of the smartphones it has sold in the last quarter use the Google operating system.
Verizon announced sales of 5.6 million smartphones in Q3 2011, with only 2 …
How Google Can Keep the Android Momentum Going
Ben Bajarin is the Director of Consumer Technology Analysis and Research at Creative Strategies, Inc, a technology industry analysis and market intelligence firm located in Silicon Valley.
What Google has been able to accomplish with Android has been impressive to watch. Good timing played a key role in their success, as the handset …
BlackBerry: Vision Needed
I don’t mean to be painfully Pollyannaish, but I’m almost glad that RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis didn’t announce any new products or other major news at the keynote during its DevCon conference in San Francisco, which I attended on Tuesday morning. A year ago, at the 2010 edition of the event, he unveiled the PlayBook tablet. I got all …
How Much Does the iPhone 4S Cost to Make?
Maybe you paid $200 for a 16 GB iPhone 4S, or another $100 for the 32 GB version. Maybe you were already under contract and not eligible for an upgrade, broke open the piggybank, and forked over $649 for the 16 GB model. Whatever the case, want to know what Apple’s paying to put these things together? About what else—and I’m talking …
Siri Tricks and Tips: Do More with the iPhone 4S Virtual Assistant
In a phone with lots of evolutionary qualities, Siri is the iPhone 4S’s most revolutionary feature. Simply by speaking to this virtual assistant, you can set reminders, send text messages, look up information and schedule meetings.
But with a bit of extra effort, Siri can do even more. Here are some tricks and tips for getting the …
Siri’s Snark Becomes the Internet’s Next Big Thing
Apple’s virtual assistant Siri hasn’t been even been released for a week, and yet she’s already proven herself to be the internet’s new favorite artificial intelligence. The reason? Exactly the one that Apple had hoped would endear you to her in the first place: She talks to you.
The spectacular STSS Tumblr site collects the AI’s …
Android Ice Cream Sandwich Explained
On Wednesday, Google and Samsung announced the Galaxy Nexus smartphone (previously rumored as the “Nexus Prime”). But a phone is only as good as its software, and Android Ice Cream Sandwich, which will debut on the Galaxy Nexus, is a major update that will eventually be the standard for Android phones and tablets.
Here’s a closer look …