New Android app checks 4G coverage

LAS VEGAS -- Tapping into high-speed 4G networks is a real treat, but sometimes a signal is hard to find. Mosaik's new CellMaps Mobile Coverage app for Android is here to help.

Announced today at CTIA 2013, the application lets U.S. Android phone owners see 4G footprints for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon in real time. Users can also drill down to see cellular network services in their neck of the woods or scan the overall 4G picture nationally.

Even more exciting is the application's ability to filter 4G coverage in granular details such as … Read more

Nokia video ad touts Lumia 928's low-light camera

Nokia is out with another promo showing off the camera of its new Lumia 928 smartphone.

A spot posted on YouTube reveals a series of videos and photos taken by the phone under low-light conditions. One sequence shows a man dancing along a sidewalk at night. A second reveals a group of people in a dark dance hall. And another shows a girl on a swing in the evening hours.

Of course, no Nokia ad is complete without a dig at the competition. So, the spot ends with a simple comment that the Lumia 928 is better than the iPhone … Read more

Customers not as happy with iPhone as they were last year

More customers are satisfied with Apple's phones than any other handsets, but they're not as happy as they were last year, a new report said.

According to an American Customer Satisfaction Index report issued today, Apple received a score of 81 (on a scale of 100) in terms of customer satisfaction. But the company dropped 2 percent from its 2012 position, and the iPhone lags the customer satisfaction rating of 86 for Apple's desktop, laptop, and tablet business.

At the same time, satisfaction with Motorola phones jumped 5 percent from 2012 to 77, and Nokia grew 1 … Read more

Spot expands lineup with satellite-powered Global Phone

Satellite phones may seem like a niche technology, and in many ways they are. You won't need one while roaming city streets, but they can be invaluable if you're ever trekking far from civilization -- though that didn't stop this guy from using the HTC One on Mt. Everest.

If you're an in-the-wilds type, then Spot has a new option for you. On Monday, the company announced the Spot Global Phone, a satellite handset that promises a voice and data connection in hard-to-reach places.

Though most satellite phones tend to be bulky, the Spot Global weighs … Read more

Tough Cat B15 Android phone marks U.S. debut

LAS VEGAS--Caterpillar's Cat B15 Android smartphone is the newest entrant to the U.S.' rough and ready durable phone tussle.

I got my hands on the B15 this past March when it first appeared on the world stage at Mobile World Congress. This U.S. variant is essentially the same handset, except for the cellular support -- AWS bands 1700/2100 to complement GSM 850/1900 support.

There's no launch date yet, since Cat is actively pursuing North American partners like carriers and retailers for around $350 unlocked.

Made by the same company that builds industrial tractors and … Read more

Shots leaked of Galaxy S4 Active

If you've ever described yourself or any of your favorite activities as "hard core," you may want to hold off on buying the Samsung Galaxy S4 until its rumored ruggedized sibling debuts.

GSMArena apparently got its hands on some leaked shots of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active edition. As I've reported in the past, this Galaxy S4 variant is meant to be resistant to dust and water, which is fortunate for those times when you feel compelled to tweet while rolling down a sand dune into a rushing river. … Read more

Teen's science project could charge phones in 20 seconds

My high school science project looked at how row covers could help plants grow in cold weather. Not a bad idea, but not nearly as cool as high school student Eesha Khare's science project, the creation of a supercapacitor that could potentially be used to fully charge a cell phone within 20 to 30 seconds.

Khare, an 18-year-old from California, won the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award and $50,000 for her participation in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair run by the Society for Science & the Public. Think of it as the world's largest science fair. Khare took home one of the top prizes for "a tiny device that fits inside cell phone batteries, allowing them to fully charge within 20-30 seconds."… Read more

Zap your pet's blues away with Petcube laser pointer

If you feel bad about leaving Fluffy home alone, consider giving her the laser treatment.

Petcube is stylish box that lets you play with your pet when you're away. It beams leasers around the room while you control it from afar via smartphone.

Connected to your home Wi-Fi network, Petcube is a 4-inch cube that has a wide-angle camera, microphone, and low-intensity laser pointer.

The prototype is made of glass and aluminum and is being developed by robot enthusiast Alex Neskin, along with Yaroslav Azhnyuk, and Andrey Klen. The Ukranian startup recently showed it off at Seedcamp Week Berlin.Read more

Delete Foursquare check-ins using the Android, iOS app

After a rough night out on the town, looking at your Foursquare history is a good way to figure out where you were (assuming you were coherent enough to use your phone). Sometimes you may not like what you see and want to delete any trace of where you were as fast as possible.

Or you could have innocently checked into the wrong venue and need to delete the error from your history.

Well, you can delete any check-ins directly from your Android or iOS device. I'm not sure when the feature was added to either app, but previously … Read more

Getting started with Schemes for Android

Being able to schedule an SMS, tweet, Facebook post, or Gmail is extremely useful. An SMS can be used to wish a distant friend or relative a happy birthday. A tweet or Facebook post can help your small business, or remind friends about a local event. And lastly, scheduling a Gmail message is useful when the recipient lives in another time zone and you don't want to disturb them.

The Schemes app for Android lets you schedule all of these message types, at no cost. Furthermore, you can send these scheduled messages without needing to create any … Read more