Last December Google announced its plans to discontinue support for Google Sync as of January 30, 2013. Sync allowed users to access Gmail, Google Contacts and Calendar using Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync system. What this allowed iOS users to do was set up Gmail as an Exchange account, which in turn provides push alerts for new e-mails in a real-time sync of Calendars and Contacts.

The cutoff date has long passed, but if you had an account already set up and running on your iOS device as Exchange, you had nothing to worry about; Google promised to keep the service … Read more

JLo's new mobile venture has launched its first retail outlet.

Set up as a Verizon Wireless premium retailer, Viva Movil by Jennifer Lopez launched its initial store on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, the company announced Wednesday. Designed to attract customers from the Hispanic community, the store will sell smartphones and tablets from Apple, Samsung, BlackBerry, Motorola, LG, Nokia, and other vendors, all running on Verizon's network. Also on tap will be fashion cases from Jennifer Lopez and accessories from Samsung, BlackBerry, Otterbox, and Harman Kardon.

The store's staffers are bilingual, allowing them to speak with customers in … Read more

Samsung's S4 Galaxy Zoom -- which combines an Android smartphone with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens -- is real.

The model isn't likely to appeal to the mainstream smartphone buyer. But in an Android market crowded with options, a niche that caters to a particular subset can be a reasonable approach -- especially if that subset is as passionate, enthusiastic, and willing to part with money as photographers often are.

The Korean electronics giant announced the new smartphone Wednesday, the latest in a series of S4-branded phones that began with the Galaxy S4 flagship model, continued … Read more

I'm all for a little tomfoolery when it comes to quick-and-dirty photo-editing tricks on mobile devices. The latest app I can't get enough of that meets this criterion is Levitagram.

I first discovered the app on The Next Web, and it didn't take long after I first read the article to purchase the app for $1.99 from the App Store.

The app works like this: take a photo with you, or any random object, on top of a chair, box or whatever you have handy.

You then take an additional photo with both items removed. Levitagram … Read more

If smartphone users have problems with your site, here's some incentive to fix them: Google said Tuesday it plans to punish problematic sites with lower placement in search results.

"To improve the search experience for smartphone users and address their pain points, we plan to roll out several ranking changes in the near future that address sites that are misconfigured for smartphone users," said Yoshikiyo Kato, a mobile search team programmer, and Pierre Far, a Webmaster trends analyst, in a blog post.

The pair gave some examples of common problems:

• Redirecting visitors trying to use assorted PC-optimized … Read more

The smartphone self portrait -- the selfie -- is a part of today's modern world, whether you are using it for a social-media profile picture, want to show your friends yourself in an interesting location or having a particularly good time, or are simply experiencing a vain moment without a friend nearby to snap a shot of you.

Most selfies require you to hold out your phone as far as you can reach to snap the shot. If you'd like to lose the outstretched arm and snap your selfies with an iPhone, I encourage you to try out … Read more

The iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 -- two sparkling smartphones at the top of their game. But which mobile is tougher? That's what our in-depth and brutal destruction video aims to discover. Hit play on the clip above to witness the world's greatest mobiles drowned, scratched, dropped, and crushed -- with surprising results.

For our first test you'll see both phones, which were kindly donated by U.K. gadget insurance company Protect your bubble, dunked underwater, an ordeal from which Samsung's mobile made a truly miraculous recovery. Find out exactly how much … Read more

Now that Google Glass is in the hands of developers, it seems like everybody wants a smartphone connection on their specs. That pesky $1,500 price tag is a little annoying, though. Let's say you don't need all the fancy Glass features, like an eyeball-level display, camera, directions, search, and voice commands. If you're satisfied with just notifications, then you may soon be able to connect your smartphone to your glasses for $25.

The NanoGlass Indiegogo project from EmoPulse consists of a small Bluetooth device that attaches to the side of a pair of glasses. A fiber optic strip extends toward the front, just enough to show up in your peripheral vision.… Read more

Apple touted several new and improved products at its keynote event at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, from a revamped iOS design to a music streaming service to a new MacBook Air. But some items were noticeably missing in action.

Apple revealed several changes to its MacBook Air, including the adoption of Intel's fourth-generation Core "Haswell" processor, built-in support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac, and beefier battery life. But the new version of Apple's ultrabook will be stuck with the same resolution as always since the Retina Display wasn't on the list of enhancements.

Although … Read more