Dialed In

Back in January when the Nexus One was unveiled, we got our first glimpse at Google Earth for Android. When the Nexus One officially shipped, I was surprised to learn that the application wasn't loaded on the phone. In fact, there wasn't even a mention of it after the unveiling. I assumed it would arrive at some point on either Android 1.6 or later.

Now it's more than a month later and Google finally snuck Google Earth into the Android Marketplace yesterday.

On paper, the Google Earth app sounds fantastic. Not only does it feature the … Read more

Just days after I first got to touch it at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, I have the Motorola Devour in my hands. Also known as the Calgary (blame Canada!), the Devour is Verizon's third Google Android phone and its first handset with MotoBlur.

I'll have a full review for you soon, but I can offer some initial impressions in the meantime. The earlier analysis indicating that the Devour looks like the Moto's Droid's little brother is indeed true. The Devour is about the same size and shape as its predecessor, but its tapered ends … Read more

As at many a convention, press conferences are a staple of Mobile World Congress (MWC). Tens of companies have them, but Samsung, Nokia, Microsoft and Sony Ericsson tend to make the biggest push. And now that I've been to three shows in Barcelona, I have to lodge a couple of complaints. I don't think I'm being overly fussy here--really, I'm actually pretty easy to please (see last paragraph)--but I do have some advice for my friends in Korea, Finland, and London.

I may be in the minority here, but I'm at a press event … Read more

As we told you a few days ago, LG played it cool at Mobile World Congress. Rather than operate a booth on the show floor, it just held an "Open House" event in the sleek Mies van der Rohe Pavillion adjacent to the Fira de Barcelona. The Google Android-powered LG GT540 was the star attraction and I snapped some photos for your perusal. I wanted to get video of the smartphone as well, but CNET's TV's Ariel Nunez was off chasing HTC with Bonnie Cha so I pulled out my admittedly dated Kodak V570 (my other … Read more

Correction: The number of Sprint WiMax markets is now 27.

Sprint is denying that one of its execs told Forbes this week that the carrier will introduce WiMax phones by the summer. According to spokeswoman Michelle Mermelstein, Sprint will keep its earlier promise to deliver WiMax devices by the end of the year, but she would not set a specific time frame.

Even as AT&T and Verizon Wireless pursue LTE for their 4G networks, Sprint and its partners have planted their flag firmly in the WiMax camp. After annnouncing the 4G network in 2006, the carrier chose Baltimore … Read more

Nearly a year after its debut in Barcelona, LG has finally brought the LG Arena to the United States. The touch-screen handset will be offered by AT&T and is packing AT&T Mobile TV, which would look mighty fine on the 3-inch WVGA display.

The Arena will feature a cool 3D user interface called S-Class, as well as goodies like a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G with support for 7.2 HSPA, 8GB internal memory, and a microSD card slot expandable up to 40GB. No, it's not a smartphone, so the $199 price does hurt a … Read more

The iPhone's Voice Control features are fun and futuristic. Voice commands also offer commuters a practical way to dial phone numbers without taking their eyes off the road.

But Voice Control isn't perfect, and unique names or pronunciations in your Contacts list can easily foil the software.

Fortunately, the iPhone allows you to get under the hood a little to make Voice Control run more smoothly. By adding fields for phonetic spellings, nicknames, middle names, and more, you can personalize your contacts to work seamlessly with the iPhone's voice-dialing capabilities.

To learn how to bend the iPhone'… Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--If you've ever doubted that Motorola has a global presence, then you need only to visit Mobile World Congress. Moto spoke to the United States and Europe with its Cliq XT/Quench announcement, showed the quirky A45 Eco for Latin America, and it threw a few bones to Asia with the Google Android-powered MotoRoi, XT800 Zihshang, and MT710.

The square, slider A45 Eco has a dual personality.: not only does the youth-oriented handset focus on messaging, but it's also made from recycled materials and is certified as carbon neutral. It sports a quirky orange skin.

The MotoRoi … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Samsung had more in its Mobile World Congress stand than just the shiny new Samsung Wave. The company also displayed a gallery of handsets, from the big and bulky to the slim and shiny. Currently these handsets aren't headed to the U.S. market, but our photo gallery gives you a glimpse of what may come.

Making a handset both rugged and attractive isn't easy, but Samsung managed to pull it off with the rugged B2100 and E2370. We like the phones' smooth lines and the color accents. Features aren't plentiful, but these devices focus on … Read more