android

HTC's global One S gets Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

Android 4.1.1, also known as Jelly Bean, will finally make its way to some global versions of the HTC One S.

It's still unclear when the U.S. version of the One S, sold by T-Mobile USA, will get the update. PocketNow was the first to pick up on the new software release.

HTC phones have been slow to get the latest version of Android, partly because the company has chosen to heavily customize its products with the Sense skin, which adds a layer of complexity to future software upgrades. In addition, the updates must be approved … Read more

Google's Xmas greeting: We even make robots happy

Google cares.

Yes, it not like the cold hearts and ice veins of Apple, Microsoft, and the rest.

Google thinks about the little guy, like the robot who can't get drunk at the office party. And so now the company has released onto YouTube a video to thank Androiders for being just so deeply wholesome.

It's an uplifting Christmassy affair.

There are office revelers. There are illicit trysts about to occur (off camera, naturally). And there's one cute little robot who's been left out because, one supposes, he's not yet 21.… Read more

iPad is left behind as rival tablets get multiuser support

When I got my Microsoft Surface two months ago, my 11-year-old asked if he could try it. "Sure," I said, and I was able to hand it over without worry that he'd be getting into my work e-mail or accidentally tweeting on my behalf. The Surface has what the iPad lacks: multiuser support.

It's not just the Surface, either. Any Windows tablet allows different users to have their own accounts. The latest version of Android, such as on the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10, also offers this. Even Amazon's Kindle Fire HD has a … Read more

Manage Samsung mobile devices wirelessly with Kies Air

Samsung mobile devices can be managed from a computer using the Kies desktop software, but it requires software to be installed on your computer and the use of a USB cable. If you don't have a USB cable handy or if you avoid using cables whenever possible, the Samsung Kies Air app may be just what you're looking for.

The Kies Air app allows you to connect to your Samsung smartphone or tablet from any device or computer with a Web browser as long as both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. The Kies Air app basically … Read more

Smartphones at CES 2013: Gotta have more quad-core

Note: This article originally posted December 5, 2012 and updated on December 21, 2012.

The gigantic CES trade show in Las Vegas is a few weeks off, promising previews of new handsets you may consider for your own pocket.

I expect that all the usual suspects will have something to announce in one capacity or another, save perhaps for Nokia, which just launched its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820-series phones.

Less bang, more buck-conscious Nokia is a perfect example of handset-makers' relatively new trend of saving flagship smartphone launches for their own events in New York, San Francisco, and London. … Read more

iPhone snags its highest U.S. market share ever, says report

Apple has scored a victory in the U.S. with its biggest market share ever, according to data out today from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

Looking at the 12 weeks ending November 25, the research firm pegged Apple's U.S. smartphone share at 53.3 percent, thanks in part to strong sales of the iPhone 5. That number was up from 35.8 percent a year prior. And it's likely to grow.

"Apple has reached a major milestone in the U.S. by passing the 50 percent share mark for the first time, with further gains expected to … Read more

Press for Android wraps Google Reader in a slick package

Editors' note: Price of the app has been corrected.

Meet Press, a slick new app for keeping up with your RSS subscriptions on your Android device. It syncs to your Google Reader account and presents all of your articles in a well designed package, with an attractive typeface and dead simple navigation.

Perhaps the best thing about Press is its interface. The open layout and six different font choices make it a pleasure to look at. And just like Google Reader it's really easy to navigate.

Once you sync Press to your Google Reader account, the app opens up … Read more

Android in 2013: What to expect

Brace yourselves: 2013 is upon us, and that means a whole new generation of Android devices, rumors, and expectations.

Android will have a strong showing at CES, and the next few months will be littered with new smartphones and tablets. Let's take a look at some of the trends we can expect in the Android space over the coming year.

This article will touch on many trends in the Android ecosystem, including hardware advancements, vendor decisions, and key events of the year. Given the sheer number of players in the space, there will be much to look forward to … Read more

In Brazil, an iPhone that isn't an iPhone (it's Android)

Brazilians think different.

Why, only last night I had dinner with the great Brazilian-American chef Berenice de Araujo of Miami's Standard Hotel. She explained to me there's a certain "bats*** crazy" that flows through Brazilian veins.

So why be surprised that Brazil has an iPhone that isn't, well, an iPhone?… Read more

Google Play surges, but Apple's App Store is still No. 1

Google Play is on a growth spurt, but Apple is still tops in app sales.

Over the past four months, Google's app store saw its daily sales jump by 43 percent across the 20 countries measured by analytics provider Distimo in a report out today.

At the same time, sales growth for Apple's App Store rose just by 21 percent on a daily basis. That's slowed considerably since January, when the App Store's daily sales growth was 51 percent.

As Distimo points out, however, the daily revenue values in the App Store were already much higher … Read more