phones

iPhone and iPad users can now do battle as SHIELD agents, courtesy of Avengers Alliance.

Launching Thursday for iOS devices, the free game first requires that you qualify as an operative of SHIELD, the not-so-secret government agency made famous in Marvel comic books and movies. You then move on to recruit your team of heroes, including Iron Man, the Black Widow, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, and the Hulk. From there, you and your super-powered teammates face off against the bad guys in a series of 60 hazardous missions.

As you polish off each mission by defeating your foes, you can … Read more

With one small feature, iOS 7 might introduce the biggest change in iOS gaming since the App Store.

There's something I've wished for on both the iPhone and iPad for years: a true, universal, dedicated game controller. iOS 7 has granted my wish: indeed, one of the small but very significant additions to the next mobile OS announced at WWDC allows for third-party controllers. It's funny this happened to be announced during E3, because it just might be the trigger to change the mobile gaming industry.

Why it's big Third-party accessory-makers have tried making game controllers … Read more

Apple is exploring iPhones as large as 5.7 inches, as it feels the heat from large-screen rivals, according to Reuters.

The company is considering the introduction of "at least two bigger iPhones next year," the report said.

One could sport a 4.7-inch screen and the other a 5.7-incher, Reuters said, citing sources in the Asia supply chain.

"Suppliers have been approached with plans for the larger screens," the report claimed, adding that the move is "still under discussion."

The motive appears to be a growing need to respond to large-screen smartphones … Read more

You've probably not been the same since you saw the latest Apple ad.

It's helped you understand your indispensable place in the world, your iPhone's indispensable place in your life, and Apple's indispensable place in American business.

For those who didn't quite get it, the folks at Funny or Die thought they'd rewrite the voiceover to make things a touch clearer.

"We spent a lot of time developing things so that you don't have to watch concerts you paid for," explains the very level voice of Apple reason. … Read more

Polyvore, the e-commerce site for fashionistas, announced Wednesday that users have downloaded its iOS app 1 million times.

To mark its milestone, the profitable company has added a few features, including hashtags and ways to edit your collections. Users can now undo or redo changes they make in the editor, resize the images to fit the screen, realign text, and add arrows, numbers, textures, and patterns.

In addition to hashtags, Polyvore added another social layer. Users also can add friend mentions in comments with an "@" symbol. The mention will prompt a notification to the friend, and clicking on … Read more

The rumored HTC One Mini takes another step closer to reality. An image reported to be the fabled, micronized handset has bubbled up into view courtesy of gadget blog Engadget.

If the photo is legit, then the One Mini's hardware will indeed match all the hearsay and speculation. The device is said to be a shrunken-down version of HTC's flagship device, which, unlike the HTC One, features a 4.3-inch LCD screen and a thinner and shorter frame. The phone will likely sport the same gorgeous unibody aluminum chassis as the HTC One.

Other speculation points to a … Read more

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

Android vendors shouldn't expect to make many friends with Apple's current customers.

In a study released Tuesday by gadget-comparison company Retrevo, 81 percent of current iPhone owners will buy another Apple handset when their contracts are up and they have to purchase another device. Another 14 percent of current iPhone owners identify themselves as "undecided." Just 4 percent say that they plan to switch to Android.

It's a different story on the Android side. Just under two-thirds of current Android owners -- 63 percent -- say that they'd stick with a handset running Google'… Read more

Not everyone needs the latest, greatest smartphone -- the big screen, the blazing processor, the uber-camera. Plenty of users can get by just fine with something simple, especially if they can save money while still experiencing the joy of apps.

Republic Wireless offers perhaps the best money-saving smartphone deal on the planet. For $249, you get a Motorola Defy XT Android phone, then pay just $19 per month for unlimited service (with an asterisk, but still). Nineteen bucks! And you're not stuck with a contract, either.

The whole thing just got a little better: For a limited time, you … Read more