sense

One of the most popular apps for smartphones and tablets won't show up on the "Most Popular" lists at iTunes or at Google Play. E-mail is the app, and it's built into our devices. Doing e-mail on the iPhone or the iPad is a pleasure. E-mail on Android phones and tablets is a disappointing crapshoot. That should change.

Pew Internet reported last year that e-mail was the fourth-most popular activity among smartphone owners in the U.S., done by 76 percent of them. E-mail was beat only by texting, taking pictures, … Read more

I'm excited to be penning a new column for CNET--"Common Sense Tech." For my first piece, I wanted to introduce myself to readers and explain what you can expect here. In short, some practical tips, some "why doesn't this work better" pieces, and the occasional rant, when deemed necessary.

Most of my tech writing has revolved around search engines. I've been covering how they work, both for marketers and for consumers, for nearly 16 years now. When I started, we had no Google. Instead, we walked through the snow for six miles … Read more

commentary This may sound like sacrilege to the throngs of faithful HTC fans out there, but it's time for a massive overhaul of the company's iconic Sense user interface.

Sense, instantly recognizable by its retro flip-clock widget, is starting to feel a little long in the tooth. If HTC is really going to shake things up with its planned "product transition," what better way to demonstrate its commitment to progress than with a radical change in the look and feel of its mobile devices?

While HTC had a remarkable year overall, the company ended with a … Read more

New video landed online this week that shows us our first real-world look at the unannounced HTC Ville.

Expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress in late February, the Ville should be HTC's thinnest smartphone to date.

The Ville first broke cover in early November when we learned that it would feature some rather high-end hardware. Rumored specs include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, an updated version of HTC's Sense UI, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, and an 8-megapixel camera.

Capable of recording 1080p HD video, the … Read more

HTC has begun sending out press invitations to a February 26 event that takes place on the literal eve of Mobile World Congress.

After essentially skipping out on Las Vegas and CES altogether, we should be in for a real treat next month. Details for at least three Android handsets and one tablet have already emerged with perhaps more on the horizon.

You may recall, HTC had six devices on the agenda for the show last year including the Flyer tablet. Judging by the early rumors, the company may not reach that number for the 2012 event, but it is … Read more

Among the crowded list of mobile applications, Google has added another to its portfolio, acquiring local recommendation app maker Clever Sense.

Clever Sense created released its butler-like app, named Alfred, for the iPhone in July. The app is designed to learn the kinds of restaurants that a specific customer likes, then recommend similar joints based on Web reviews and other analysis.

But it isn't just about matching a taste for Italian food with another pasta restaurant. Unlike better-known and more widely used rivals such as Yelp and Urbanspoon, Clever Sense uses artificial intelligence to find customers with similar tastes, … Read more

Keeping true to its word, HTC has begun issuing a Sense 3.0 update to a pair of older smartphones.

Specifically, the two models getting the bump this time are the Incredible S and Desire HD.

The custom interface was introduced earlier in the year and includes a number of aspects that can be tailored by the user. Most notable among the features is the lock screen, which allows for quick access to popular applications such the camera, e-mail, and phone.

Although these Sense 3.0 updates are designed for U.K.-only models at this point, we might safely … Read more

HTC may be showing cracks.

The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer said today that it saw November sales fall nearly 30 percent to NT$30.9 billion (roughly $1 billion) from a year ago. That follows its warning from last month that it wouldn't see any sales growth in the fourth quarter.

Those are just the latest cracks in a company that over the past year has seen its Android crown seized by a rival as support from its carrier partners receded, all while suffering several legal setbacks in its patent battle against Apple. While HTC still enjoyed strong performance for … Read more

WordPress.com bloggers will now be able to earn a few bucks on their posts courtesy of advertising.

The popular blogging site is kicking off a new feature called WordAds, according to a blog posted earlier today by WordPress.com ads lead Jon Burke. Partnering with Federated Media, WordPress.com will display advertisements on qualifying blogs, letting their owners earn some cash from each ad.

WordPress, which Burke said signs up 50,000 new blogs every day, had apparently received requests over the years to allow advertising on the blogs created by its users, but resisted the temptation because of … Read more