Tablets

Prizefight: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs. LG Intuition

It's a first-time Prizefight for a whole new evolving category between Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 and LG's Intuition.

These two unique devices bring the world of a smartphone and a tablet into one form factor. Throw in the use of a stylus, and we're talking about two of the most versatile mobile devices on the planet.

The Galaxy Note 2 has learned its lessons and it brings a versatile stylus, albeit with a much steeper learning curve. The LG Intuition stylus interface is straightforward and simple, but there's no place to hold the stylus on … Read more

'Mobile Thursday' takes on Black Friday, Cyber Monday

This year, some retailers are so impatient to open their doors for Black Friday that they're calling in employees to kick off the sales bonanza as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. But why wait even that long? In fact, why even get off the couch when that tablet resting on your turkey and pie-filled belly has access to both your wallet and a whole universe of deals?

Digital ad agency Digitas told its hometown paper the Boston Globe this week that its recently commissioned survey (conducted by Harris Interactive) of consumers found that 28 percent plan to shop via a mobile device this Thursday. … Read more

Samsung launches Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE model

Samsung has released the LTE edition of its Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, but the model is available only in Korea for now.

Sold through three different Korean wireless carriers, the new tablet also offers VoLTE (Voice over LTE), which allows standard voice calls to be transmitted over the LTE data network.

Hit by lackluster sales for its Tab tablet lineup, Samsung has been promoting the new Note devices. The introduction of LTE brings the Note up to the level of the 4G Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Sporting Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the LTE Galaxy Note 10.1 kicks … Read more

Warner Brothers attempts big bang with day-after TV app

Cord cutters and on-the-go TV watchers now have another app to help satisfy their viewing habits, at least if they're big "Gossip Girl" fans and based in Europe.

Warner Bros. yesterday launched its Day After US app for iOS, giving users access to a few of its TV series for download or streaming. The app is free to download, but the majority of programs must be purchased.

The app briefly and accidentally showed up in the U.S. iTunes store but later was removed. It's only being made available to consumers in the Benelux region -- … Read more

Four YouTube players square off for a spot on your iPad

When iOS 6 was released two months ago, the native YouTube app went away. Google has since released a YouTube app for the iPhone, but it has yet to release a YouTube player optimized for the iPad.

I have taken a look at a number of third-party YouTube apps -- Jasmine, Video Tube, YouPlayer, and vTube -- for the iPad so you don't have to. Let's do a quick CNET Reviews breakdown for each to determine our winner.

Jasmine The good: Jasmine lets you sign into your account and comment on videos, create playlists, and play audio in … Read more

eBay same-day delivery makes a stop in New York City

eBay's same-day delivery service is making a stop in New York, with the e-commerce giant expanding its new program to parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Richelle Parham, chief marketing officer of eBay Marketplaces, noted in a post that the eBay Now mobile app now allows shoppers to receive items from hundreds of retailers in New York, typically within an hour. The service will be available in Manhattan as far north as 125th Street and at the western edge of Brooklyn.

And to attract new users, the company plans to take $15 off shoppers' first order and make the first … Read more

TomTom beats the drums for its own map-based ecosystem

TomTom, the company best known for its auto navigation systems, has opened its mapping data for app developers, making it easier for companies to make programs that could rival those from Google and Apple.

The company, which is one of the main data providers for Apple's Maps app, says it's providing access to its location and navigation services, including map display, routing, and traffic details.

TomTom noted its program, dubbed the TomTom Location Based Services Platform and Developer Portal, will expand its capabilities over time.

It currently includes the following content and services:

Map Toolkit API with … Read more

Flipboard adds iBookstore perusing to iOS app

Flipboard, the mobile app that lets users see all of their desired news in one place, now supports books.

The company announced today that when iOS users download its latest update, they'll find that they can comb through 25 book genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and cookbooks. In order to deliver that functionality, Flipboard has incorporated Apple's iBookstore into its app and essentially acts as a conduit to help users find out about the iPhone maker's iBooks.

When sifting through Apple's library of titles, Flipboard users will be able to read a publisher's write-up, find author … Read more

A display that resizes as your face moves? Apple zooms in

Your iPhone or iPad may one day be able to resize its display based on the distance from your face.

Filed today with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a new Apple patent application dubbed "Scaling of Visual Content Based Upon User Proximity," details a method by which the display automatically scales as your face moves toward or away from the device.

The content on the display would initially size itself based on how near or far your face is. Moving your face (or the device) would then trigger the display to resize itself accordingly based on a different scaling factor.… Read more