AT&T grabs rugged Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

AT&T just officially scooped up the rugged Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. Expected to hit store shelves just in time for beach parties, the Galaxy S4 Active offers an 8-megapixel camera, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, plus is both dustproof and waterproof. … Read more

Image of HTC One Mini leaks

The rumored HTC One Mini takes another step closer to reality. An image reported to be the fabled, micronized handset has bubbled up into view courtesy of gadget blog Engadget.

If the photo is legit, then the One Mini's hardware will indeed match all the hearsay and speculation. The device is said to be a shrunken-down version of HTC's flagship device, which, unlike the HTC One, features a 4.3-inch LCD screen and a thinner and shorter frame. The phone will likely sport the same gorgeous unibody aluminum chassis as the HTC One.

Other speculation points to a … Read more

Connected appliances take 5.4M steps forward

In addition to raising $5.4 million in Series A financing led by investors Voyager Capital and Crosslink Capital, Ayla Networks announced collaboration with the Chinese online media company, Sina, in creating the Wi-Fi Weather Station. The device is designed to deliver targeted weather information for wherever one of the devices is located. Sina customers will be able to access these personal weather reports through their smartphone or other device.

It's another step forward in the "Internet of Things."

Buzzwords aside, this is a real thing.

It doesn't matter what you call it, it is happening. … Read more

How to install Android apps on your BB10 phone

No matter how slick the new hardware is or how hard BlackBerry strives to convince us that its new BB10 handsets are the cat's meow, there's still one massive stumbling block -- quality apps. Apparently even the BlackBerry faithful agree and intrepid tweakers have stepped in to fix the situation themselves.

Read on to learn how you can quickly take advantage of free BlackBerry 10 apps that others have kindly ported from Android. Best of all, the entire process takes minutes and loading apps to your Z10 or Q10 just a matter of seconds.

Gather your tools So … Read more

A cooler for outside the cooler

Beverage and food coolers come in all shapes and sizes. And for good reason too; a nation with hearty appetites needs somewhere to put all that food (before it settles around the waistline, that is). Lugging delectable foods from point A to point B requires planning. Since there will no doubt be need to bring something to wash it all down, the big cooler will be required. But what about the little stuff?

A large cooler filled with ice makes for a great transportation device for beer and soda cans, but can wreak havoc upon foodstuffs placed within. Battered and … Read more

Will Verizon ever see a 'pure' Android smartphone again?

My Verizon Galaxy Nexus is getting long in the tooth, as they say. Old. Sluggish. I bought it soon after it launched with Verizon in December 2011 because I wanted a "pure" Android experience on a network I felt had the best speed and coverage. Now I'm ready to replace it, but there's no alternative in sight.

Sure, Verizon has other Android phones I could buy. But those don't have a pure or "stock" experience, where the Android operating system hasn't had modifications made to it by the handset maker.

Pure Android … Read more

Verizon bringing HTC One into the fold

Looks like speculation of the HTC One hitting Verizon this summer is true. The carrier just confirmed that it will bring the superphone into its lineup in a couple months.

Rather than issuing a formal press release, Verizon spilled the beans via its official Twitter account and cryptically stated that the phone "will be available on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network later this summer."

Regardless of the lack of a firm launch date, this is huge news for loyal HTC One fans since the handset has gained quite a following in recent months as it has begun … Read more

Mood lighting for a kitchen scale

It's not hard to come across a serving of well-lit food. After all, we eat with our eyes first, as they say. Following this line of logic it might make sense to peer a little deeper into the process. No, not the process of food styling, but food prepping instead. If all the world's a stage, all the players need to start eating the props at some point. Best to have the props well lit.

Hidden under the weighing stage of the Mastrad Electric Backlit Scale ($29.99) lurks three LEDs just waiting for the curtain to rise. … Read more

Eight things the Moto X needs

Motorola needs a smartphone hit badly, and it should have happened already. Its last innovative smartphone was the Droid Razr Maxx, way back in January 2012. While its battery lasted a phenomenal 15 hours, a number that newer handsets can't yet match, this is an inexplicable handset drought for the company. Motorola has a long and storied history of shaking up the market with earth-shattering products. That's why I know the company has what it takes to craft the Moto X, now officially due by October, into a hit. And with such stiff competition in the mobile space, … Read more