Android

Right now, deep beneath the Earth's crust, Google engineers are working in secret to develop the next major version of Android.

Rumored to be called Key Lime Pie (though some reports suggest the next version may stick with the Jelly Bean moniker), little is known about what new software treats this update has in store. That said, we at CNET certainly have an idea of what we want to see -- hit play on the video above to hear the apps and tweaks we're desperate for Google to bake into the heart of its next big refresh.

Separate … Read more

Angry Birds Friends has hatched from Facebook into a full-fledged iOS and Android app.

Available as of Thursday at both Apple's App Store and Google Play, the free game offers a socially-network twist. You compete against your Facebook friends as you try to take down those bad piggies.

All the points you rack up by slinging those angry birds are compared with those of your Facebook friends to see who emerges the winner.

Angry Birds Friends offers new tournaments each Monday promising new challenges, daily rewards, and a chance to take home the gold trophy.

Your tournament gameplay automatically … Read more

While we don't know when iOS 7 will make its debut, here's what we do know: it will be the biggest reinvention of Apple's flagship OS in years -- perhaps ever.

iOS was Scott Forstall's baby since its inception. He was an advocate of skeuomorphism, a design philosophy that brings the look and feel of real-world objects into software design. iOS' linen backgrounds, notepads, and famously terrible podcast app are all examples of this philosophy in practice.

Skeuomorphism has dominated iOS for years, thanks to Forstall and Steve Jobs, who also advocated for the approach. Its … Read more

Android users are flocking to the latest version of Google's mobile operating system in droves.

The number of active devices running Jelly Bean -- Android 4.1 and 4.2, combined -- rose 3.4 points to 28.4 percent in April, surpassing Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), which fell 1.8 points to 27.5 percent, according to monthly user numbers published by Google on Wednesday. Jelly Bean's growing adoption rate was not enough to overtake the declining Gingerbread (Android 2.3), which slid 1.7 points to 38.5 percent.

The numbers, which are derived … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Google Glass has been jailbroken, able to record while showing no activity and using secret gestures.

- Netflix said to eliminate hundreds of classic titles.

- White men wearing Google Glass.

- Hey Google Glass, are you recording me?

- Yes, you can tweet from Google Glass.… Read more

Samsung has been good about providing online simulators for its smartphones, like the Galaxy Nexus and the Note. With the release of its new flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, it has updated the simulator's interface to make the tutorials easier to navigate and much easier to read. The simulator is great if you want to get an idea of what the phone is like or if you want to learn more about it, either for yourself, or for someone that you're helping.

You can get to the Galaxy S4 simulator by pointing your Web browser to http://www.samsungmobileusa.com/simulators/GalaxyS4.… Read more

About a year ago, the Toshiba Excite 10 LE debuted to somewhat lukewarm reviews. Priced at a whopping $530 for the 16GB model, it was praised for its thin, lightweight design, but dinged for its so-so screen and proprietary charger.

With today's deal, let's see if our perspective changes at all. Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay has the refurbished Toshiba Excite 10 LE Android tablet for $199.99 shipped. That's one of the lowest prices I've seen on a 10.1-inch tablet, especially one with this design.

Quick note before I proceed: 1SaleADay continues … Read more

Path recently announced it has reached 10 million users, and is now growing at 1 million users per week. The total number of users is low, especially when compared with Facebook's numbers, but don't let that fool you.

Path is a useful social platform, especially for those who aren't about sharing with large groups of friends, but instead keep a smaller list of friends to share personal moments with. With the growing popularity, you're likely to see posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, and even Foursquare.

Path is a private social network. Instead … Read more

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 finally getting into the hands of some consumers, we must once again return to that persistent question that smartphone and gadget lovers never stop asking: what's next?

With word that Apple won't be releasing any new hardware until the fall and the HTC One and Galaxy S4 just released, the answer seems to be "not much" -- at least not for the next few months.

However, dancing on the far edges of the horizon in this summer's blockbuster smartphone void is a magical unicorn of a device whose legend grows stronger and more far-fetched with each passing day -- and with each hyperbolic comment loosed from Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt's lips. I am speaking, of course, of the mythical Motorola "X Phone."… Read more