Mobile software

OK, so you you can't remotely drive a BMW with a phone like James Bond does in "Tomorrow Never Dies," but there are plenty of real apps that will let you take control of your car and its tech with little more than your smartphone and a data connection. From beaming destinations to your Toyota's navigation system with Entune to remotely unlocking your doors with GM's OnStar RemoteLink, we've rounded up a few of the best car-controlling apps. … Read more

Firefox for Android (download) has seen a lot of changes this year that have looked to the future, but today's release makes the browser compatible with a selection of older Android phones.

Released a day ahead of schedule because the features were ready, explained a Mozilla representative in an e-mail to CNET, Firefox 17 for Android supports an expansive list of ARM v6 hardware. This means that older but popular phones like the Samsung Galaxy Pro GT-B7510, HTC Status, Motorola XT531, and Motorola Fire XT can now run the alternative browser.

The hardware restrictions are fairly minimal, and appear … Read more

Apple has approved 1 million iOS apps, according to an application discovery company.

Appsfire revealed the findings on its Twitter account yesterday. In an e-mailed statement to CNET, an Appsfire spokesperson said that its tally includes all of the apps "that have been submitted and approved by Apple and that went live in the App Store" since its launch in 2008. The spokesperson was quick to point out that the tally does not include those apps that have been submitted and rejected.

The Next Web was first to report on the Appsfire tally.

Apple announced last month that … Read more

Generally the addition of "Express" to the name of any program means that it is a light or less feature-packed version of the original. However, in the case of Pixlr Express, the amount of options packed into the app doesn't make it feel like a light version at all.

The company behind this app is Autodesk, which also makes Pixlr-o-Matic and AutoCAD. Think of Pixlr Express as a beefed-up version of Pixlr-o-Matic; not only do you get all of the vintage filters, but another 600+ effects can be applied in the new app.

Get started by grabbing&… Read more

The holidays are fully under way, which means that shopping is at top of mind for many. In years past, this might have meant thumbing through the weekly circulars and braving the inevitable shopping mall stampedes, but these days, online retailers and deal-hunting mobile apps are changing the game.

For Android users, here are three of our favorite shopping apps, all of which can help you get a heads up on the best deals, not only online, but also in your area. Try them out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Editors' note: … Read more

Last week we began to see the first hints of Google's first foray into so-called "alternate reality gaming," in which cryptic clues are strewn about the on- and offline worlds for the perusal of highly engaged fans. "What is the Niantic Project?" asked a teaser video. As of today, we know the answer: the Niantic Project is a game called Ingress.

As described in a teaser video, Ingress describes a world in which two shadowy sides are vying for dominance: the Enlightened, who are trying to establish portals around the world that will let them … Read more

You can now get a taste of Firefox OS straight from your desktop browser, thanks to a new Firefox add-on called r2d2b2g that bakes a Firefox OS simulator right into your desktop browser.

Mozilla wrote in its blog post announcing the simulator add-on that the tool has two complementary goals for helping developers. Currently at version 0.7, the company hopes that by version 1.0 the add-on will be stable enough to let developers easily create apps for the new OS.

The second goal for the add-on is that it frees developers from having a device to install a … Read more

Better mobile support and more desktop options give SkyDrive users a bit of a boost today, as Microsoft updates its cloud storage service.

The desktop improvements include the ability to share SkyDrive files with one click from Windows 8's File Explorer (also known as Windows Explorer in previous versions of Windows,) and selectively sync folders from a Windows or Mac. This can help keep small-drive devices from filing up too quickly.

Android and Windows Phone apps have been updated, too, so that you can now more easily browse files in your SkyDrive. You'll also be able to control … Read more

Flipboard, the mobile app that lets users see all of their desired news in one place, now supports books.

The company announced today that when iOS users download its latest update, they'll find that they can comb through 25 book genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and cookbooks. In order to deliver that functionality, Flipboard has incorporated Apple's iBookstore into its app and essentially acts as a conduit to help users find out about the iPhone maker's iBooks.

When sifting through Apple's library of titles, Flipboard users will be able to read a publisher's write-up, find author … Read more