Android

Facebook touts Home's benefits for developers

Facebook launched Home to put a user's friends at the center of the phone. But for developers, it means a new way to help people discover their apps and reengage with existing users, the company said.

Facebook today launched Home, a family of apps and a skin that runs over Android. The company said users will be able to download the user interface in the Google Play store, and that links would be found in its Facebook and messenger apps. Facebook said that there would be monthly updates to add features and broader availability, and it also will expand … Read more

Facebook's Zuckerberg: Home is actually good for Android

Facebook's new Home family of apps might seem like a threat to Google, but Facebook says that actually the opposite is true.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, speaking during an event today in Menlo Park, Calif., said that "this is really good for Android."

"Most app developers put most of their efforts on iPhones," he said. "In a way this can start to bring some of these high quality experiences to Android and that could be good for Android."

He added that while there are not yet ads on Home, there will be, … Read more

Facebook Home launches April 12 on HTC, Samsung phones

Facebook Home will be available for download on April 12, but only on select phones to start with.

Facebook today launched Home, a family of apps and a skin that runs over Android. The company said users will be able to download the user interface from the Google Play store, and that links would be found in its Facebook and messenger apps.

The HTC phones that will initially get access to the app are the upcoming HTC One and the One X and One X+.

On the Samsung side, the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, and upcoming Galaxy S4 will … Read more

Facebook unveils 'Home,' a family of apps for your Android phone

Facebook unveiled a new "Home" on Android at a press event at its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters today -- a family of apps meant to keep mobile audiences always affixed to its social network.

Facebook Home consists of a set of the social network's apps that become the home of your Android phone. With Home, the device's home screen transforms into "Cover Feed," or a visually rich and swipe-able version of News Feed for your phone. Home also includes a more picture-perfect version of messaging, complete with a Facebook-invented feature called "Chat Heads,&… Read more

Blink, Google's new Chrome browser engine, comes to life

Blink, Google's new fork of the WebKit browser engine, is alive.

Yesterday, Google announced the project, which splits its browser work from Apple's in the open-source WebKit project. Today, Blink is up and running.

The first updates -- including a new list of 36 Blink "owners" who have authority to approve changes -- are arriving.

"Chrome 28 will be the first blinking release," Chrome programmer Mike West said in a Hacker News comment. The current stable version of Chrome is version 26; new versions arrive about every six weeks.

"The repository seems to … Read more

Best Buy chops older iPad prices as much as 30 percent

Consumers looking to pick up an iPad will find discounts as high as 30 percent courtesy of Best Buy.

The retailer is offering the 16GB version of the 3rd-generation iPad $314, down from $449. The 32GB will run you $384, down from $549. And the 64GB edition is on sale for $454, down from $649.

The discounts also extend to the cellular flavors of the iPad 3, mostly with A&T but at least one with Verizon.

Consumers not interested in the iPad can also land a few discounts at Best Buy.

The first-generation version of Amazon's Kindle Fire is on sale for $99, … Read more

Samsung takes smartphone battle to the storefront

DALLAS -- Samsung has opened a new front in its battle for smartphone supremacy: the storefront.

The Korean electronics giant plans to set up mini Samsung stores inside all U.S. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile venues within the next couple of months -- just in time for the Galaxy S4 launch. The "Samsung Experience Shops," which start rolling out Monday, will be in 500 big-box Best Buy stores and all 410 Best Buy Mobile locations by early May. Best Buy's remaining 550 large-format Best Buy stores will feature the shops by early June.

A larger … Read more

Facebook phone? Many consumers say 'meh'

So Facebook says it's got a "new home on Android," and we're invited to the housewarming tomorrow, which CNET will be live blogging from. Many speculate the highlight of the occasion will be the launch of a Facebook phone, or at least a Facebook-centric forked version of Android that could land soon on an HTC phone.

The only problem is, when it comes to the idea of a new Facebook phone, or skin, or whatever, very few consumers seem likely to click "like."… Read more

Vertical wireless charging means cool things for your phone

The wireless charging stations of today are either small, flat surfaces upon which you position your phone, or laptop-size spaces that can fit more than one device.

You must lay your smartphone or tablet just so to see the full effects of the charge. A bump or slip makes charging less efficient, which means it will take longer to charge your phone cable-free.

The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) is working on a next-generation wireless charging technology that can not only power smartphones and tablets laying directly on a charging pad, but can also throw its magnetic charging beam upward.… Read more