Smartphones

In a move to gin up excitement for its current SmartWatch gadget, Sony has opened the device to software developers. With these new coding tools, enthusiasts now hopefully have what they need to craft custom firmware for the Android timepiece. … Read more

There are times you want to treat a friend to a scoop of ice cream, but quickly getting a gift card into his possession isn't always possible. And you don't always know if your gift was actually used, since there's no alert mechanism to notify you when a gift card has been redeemed.

A free iOS app, called Vouchr, will allow you to create a gift certificate (of sorts) and let any of your Facebook friends claim it when they visit a location you've specified. Originally launched in a small beta just in Canada, it's … Read more

Those of you eyeing the HTC One can score the phone for half off the usual price, courtesy of a one-day sale at Amazon.

On Friday, the retail giant will sell the HTC One for $99.99, a hefty discount off the usual $199.99 price tag. Buyers will be able to find the phone through Amazon's Cell Phones & Accessories page. But you'll need to be quick -- the sale itself will last just for the day.

The $99 offer is good for all AT&T or Sprint subscribers eligible for an upgrade. New customers can … Read more

Nokia fans, prepare yourself for...something. On Thursday, the Finnish maker of Windows Phone devices invited press to a New York launch event on July 11, promising that the phone maker would "reinvent zoom."

Although the invite teases nothing about a camera, I'm putting my money on another Lumia smartphone, this time, perhaps with the PureView camera zoom lens we've all been waiting for since Nokia first wowed us two years ago with its 41-megapixel monster.

Recent rumors point to a phone code-named Eos that includes a zooming camera lens, though some point out that the … Read more

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

HTC's Butterfly S seems to be spreading its wings courtesy of a few images and other details posted online by VR-Zone.

A follow-up to HTC's current Butterfly, aka Droid DNA, the upcoming S edition will sprout a pair of front-facing speakers, according to VR-Zone. The audio will also get some oomph from HTC's new BoomSound technology, which keeps distortion low even when pumping up the volume at full blast.

The new Butterfly will sport the same 5-inch 1920x1080 pixel display as its predecessor, VR-Zone added. But it will come with HTC's Sense 5, a new interface … Read more

Like rebellious teenagers in bedrooms across the world, it seems Samsung could be about to go through a metal phase. Reports suggest the Samsung Galaxy S5 -- follow-up to the smash hit Galaxy S4 -- could boast the first aluminum body in the Galaxy lineup.

Android Geeks reports the as-yet-unreleased S5 will be encased in an aluminum unibody like the iPhone and HTC One, styled under a new philosophy dubbed "Design 3.0."

Exactly what that involves remains to be seen, but word on the street suggests the S5 will be the first of many high-end Galaxy smartphones … Read more

Prosecutors in New York and San Francisco will announce a program dubbed Save Our Smartphones on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

The new intiative would bring together law enforcement officials, politicians, and consumer advocates across the country to fight the growing wave of smartphone thefts. The group wants to exert pressure on smartphone companies and their stockholders to reduce the market for stolen phones. One goal would be to set up a "kill switch" that would render all such phones inoperative.

Later on Thursday, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gasc&… Read more

Samsung wasted very little time after sending its Samsung Galaxy S4 into the wild to breed a whole line of variants.

Now, there are no fewer than five Galaxy S4 models vying for your time and attention, and they're rather tough to tell apart.

Take the Galaxy S4 Google Edition, for instance, a model that's almost identical to the GS4 original -- oh, except for its entire experience and price. Then there are the Galaxy S4 Mini, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, and Galaxy S4 Zoom. What's a Samsung fan to do?

Don't worry, that's what … Read more