device

In OS X Lion, Apple changed the default scroll direction from moving the screen in the opposite direction to the cursor to be similar to the iPad and iPhone, where when you scroll the image on the screen moves in the same direction you are scrolling.

This behavior may be expected for touch-screen devices, but for many people the change is a bit confusing, despite the introductory warning that informs you about the change when you first boot Lion.

For people who wish to keep the conventional scrolling behavior, there's an option to do so in the Mouse and … Read more

Believe it or not, tablets are shaping up to be the future of home theater controls.

Brian Cooley walks you through what could become the ultimate couch potato setup.

SAN DIEGO--In case you didn't know, connected devices--or gadgets with a built-in cellular connection--are a big thing.

They've been a focus here at this year's CTIA Enterprise & Applications show. AT&T executive Glenn Lurie called it "the next big thing" in the wireless industry yesterday. His boss, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega, reiterated the sentiment today at the keynote address. Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead also talked up its position in the connected devices business.

The GSM Association and Machina Research said the addressable market for the wireless industry … Read more

Hooking up every device to a cellular or wireless connection is the "next big thing" that will drive growth in the industry, according to Glenn Lurie, head of emerging devices for AT&T.

Lurie has been responsible for creating new revenue opportunities by connecting everything from medicine bottles to dog collars at AT&T. He believes the industry is just starting to realize this opportunity.

"Everything that has a current running through it will be connected," Lurie said. "They need to be smarter."

A study conducted by Machina Research and funded by … Read more

Your mobile device could soon go the route of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

AT&T today unveiled AT&T Toggle, a service that allows you to create two separate and distinct identities on your smartphone or tablet. The first would be a personal account where you can freely browse the Internet, text your friends, and watch videos. A second, more secure identity would house your business apps and documents and can be managed by your company's IT department.

AT&T is using an app called Divide, which was created by start-up Enterproid.

The service will help aid the trend of individuals bringing their own devices to use at work, which kicked off with the iPhone a few years back and has spread to other smartphones and tablets. The announcement comes ahead of the CTIA Enterprise & Applications conference, which kicks off tomorrow in San Diego.

"When it comes to connected devices, one size doesn't fit all," said Chris Hill, vice president of advanced mobility services in AT&T's business services group. "People want to use their own smartphones and tablets for work, but that practice can create major headaches for businesses' IT departments."

Individuals like it because they're no longer constrained to the few options that companies give them on smartphones. Companies like it because they no longer have to bear the financial burden of outfitting their employees with mobile devices.

AT&T is hoping Toggle will provide a boost to this trend. The service will be available by the end of the year to phones running on Android 2.2, also known as Froyo, or higher. AT&T said it plans to expand the accessibility to other mobile operating systems next year. In addition, the service can work on phones running on any carrier.

AT&T plans to charge businesses a license fee of $5 per device each month on top of any other service fees. Once the company buys the license, it can assign it to an employee, who will be able to download the Toggle app from Android Marketplace or AT&T's application store.

Companies using the service will be able to allow certain employees the ability to access corporate data depending on their responsibilities. They will also be able to add, update, or delete business applications on their employees' personal devices, and remotely wipe corporate information on the device if it is lost or stolen. … Read more

There's a new fitness gadget making the rounds. Even more silly (not to mention sexual) than the good ol' Thigh Master and newcomer Shake Weight, the Free Flexor makes us giggle when it's in use.

Just watch the below commercial we found on YouTube, for starters. Within seconds, you will probably blush, laugh, and copy and paste the URL. We'd tell you why it makes us laugh, but we're too ashamed to get into it (no pun intended). Guaranteed, you will share it with your friends. Some of them might even buy it for novelty alone.

I'm not judging--I have a Shake Weight at home. I don't know if it really works, but it sure is a great conversation piece at house parties.

Now about the Free Flexor... We have yet to try it, so we couldn't tell you if it's effective or not. To get the lowdown, we turned to fitness experts for their opinions.… Read more

I have just one word for Wacom's new interactive pen display, the Cintiq 24HD: WANT. "Expensive" would be my alternative selection. Given its $2,499 price tag, it's out of reach for all but serious artists and designers. For those unfamiliar with the Cintiq line, they're displays with integrated pen tablets; in other words, they're the pen tablet equivalent of touch screens, so you can draw right on them.

Wacom's previous Cintiq products, the 21UX and 12WX, which remain in the product line, are certainly no slouches, but this model shows the attention … Read more

Dell is partnering with Chinese search engine Baidu to create smartphones and tablets for Chinese consumers, according to a story today from Reuters.

The mobile devices will run Baidu software based on the company's Baidu Yi mobile platform, which supports Android-based apps, a Dell spokeswoman told Bloomberg.

The move is seen as an attempt by Dell to gain more traction in a market of 900 million mobile customers, and one that's already dominated by Apple and Lenovo.

But at least one analyst is dubious about the strategy on Dell's part.

"I suspect this is just Dell, … Read more

It has been over a year since the iPhone 4 Antennagate debacle filled the pages of most tech blogs. In that time, everyone from random people on the street to Consumer Reports criticized the iPhone antenna issues, problems that a new patent application from Apple seeks to solve.

Sniffed out by Patently Apple, this application for a window that acts as an antenna may end up being one of the more important filings you'll see this year. In a nutshell, Apple is developing a composite that contains foam cells and could house the iPhone's (or other iDevice's) … Read more