900

Camera megapixels: Why more isn't always better (Smartphones Unlocked)

Editors' note: This article originally published May 6, 2012, and was updated on February 13, 2013, and again on May 4, 2013.

In a matter of months, the high-end smartphone camera spec rocketed from a respectable 8 megapixels to an altitudinous 13.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro are the freshest examples of this megapixel push, but even last January's Pantech Discover (12.6 megapixels), last October's LG Optimus G for Sprint (13 megapixels), and especially mid-2012's 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView piled on the megapixels.

Yet even though the technology exists, quality can be just as uneven from phone to phone as it was when an 8-megapixel shooter was the "best" that money could buy.

Shootout!: Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One and iPhone 5

Championing that perception head-on is HTC, the same company that not too long ago boasted about the 16-megapixel camera in its Titan II. Now, in its HTC One flagship, the smartphone maker dials down the megapixel count to 4 megapixels, which HTC fancifully terms "Ultrapixels," arguing that the lager pixel size throws back the blinds to let in much more light.

In this lies the reminder (something photography nuts will tell you) that it's quite possible for an excellent 5-megapixel camera to produce photos you prefer over a shoddy 12-megapixel camera. The number of megapixels alone is no guarantee of heightened photographic performance.

Instead, the formula for fantastic photos comes down to the entire camera module, which includes the size and material of the main camera lens, the light sensor, the image processing hardware, and the software that ties it all together. So let's dive in.… Read more

How to enable group messaging on Windows Phone 7.5

Group messaging makes it easy to hold a conversation with multiple recipients all in one thread. Unfortunately, this feature is turned off on devices running Windows Phone 7.5 by default.

To enable group messaging:

Open the Settings app. Scroll to the right, where the Applications section is located. Open the Messaging option. Toggle the Group Messaging switch to the on position.

Going forward, when you're included in a group conversation, or send a message to multiple recipients, the conversation should appear in the same thread. Keep in mind, group messaging uses MMS messages instead of SMS in order … Read more

How to update the software on a Nokia Lumia 900

Nokia recently released a software update for the Lumia 900 that addressed the connection issues many users were reporting. So many users, in fact, that Nokia also offered $100 credit (the total cost of the device on a contract) to Lumia 900 owners.

If you have yet to update your Lumia 900, the process is easy; you just need a bit of time and access to a computer with an Internet connection.

To get started, you will need to make sure you have either the Zune (Windows) software or the Windows Phone 7 Connector (Mac) app installed on … Read more

Intel-based Lava Xolo phone measures up, says report

The first phone based on Intel silicon keeps pace with rival devices using chips from longstanding mobile standard bearer ARM, a report said Wednesday.

"For Intel, answering the looming ARM threat is obviously hugely important for the future," said review site Anandtech.

"So how did Intel's first attempt fare? In short, reasonably well," the site's Brian Klug wrote.

For the first time, a commercial smartphone is packing Intel silicon, the Atom 'Medfield" Z2460. India-based Lava announced the Xolo X900 this week.

Benchmarks showed the X900 keeping up with market-leading Android phones like the … Read more

Google goes for a Drive

Stories from Tuesday's CNET Update:

Google Drive launches today Shortage of blue and white versions of Nokia Lumia 900 Startup wants to start mining asteroids Netflix earnings report Windows 8 preview in June Today's App to Watch: Lego Super Hero Movie Maker

Subscribe: iTunes (HD) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360)

RSS (HD) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360)

Apple iPhone offers little growth to AT&T

AT&T remains the king of the iPhone, but that distinction means less with each passing quarter.

The Dallas telecommunications giant sold 4.3 million iPhones in the first quarter, more than 1 million more than Verizon Wireless, and almost certainly more than Sprint Nextel, which sold 1.8 million in the fourth quarter at the height of the iPhone 4S buzz.

So why did AT&T only add a fraction of the contract customers that Verizon nabbed in the same period?

The results highlight an increasingly alarming trend with the wireless carriers: the decreasing benefit that the … Read more

Nokia Lumia 900 white and cyan models out of stock at AT&T

Consumers eyeing Nokia's Lumia 900 will now find only the black model in stock through AT&T.

The carrier's Lumia 900 page shows both the white and cyan models as "temporarily out of stock." AT&T's retail outlets are also reportedly facing the same shortage, according to smartphone enthusiast site WPCentral, which says that both color models are hard, if not impossible, to find in-store.

A Nokia representative confirmed the shortage.

"We have certainly seen that while all of the Nokia Lumia 900 devices have been popular, the cyan and white have … Read more

Nokia Lumia 710 and 800 getting Wi-Fi hot spot update

Nokia's Lumia 710 and 800 phones may be one step closer to gaining the ability to act as Wi-Fi hot spots, though the company itself isn't confirming or revealing any details on the matter.

A changelog of the latest update posted by Nokiapoweruser seems to reveal that the tethering feature will be rolling out for phones in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Vietnam. Screenshots of the update point to the 710 and 800C (the Chinese variant of the 800) as the recipients of the update.

No specific date was listed as to when the update would actually launch. Nokiapoweruser … Read more

Nokia answers your burning Lumia 900 questions

A software glitch and stock shortage amount to a rockier start than Nokia could have wanted for its flagship Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone. Today the company issued a press release via e-mail answering common inquiries about the device.

One of the most pressing questions is when the glossy white version will be available. The good news is: starting yesterday.

However, Lumia 900 handsets have reportedly been in short supply in some AT&T retail locations across the U.S. So if your online outlet or brick-and-mortar store is out of the phone in black, cyan, and white, you'… Read more

How Windows Phone can help your profile as a developer

If you're a developer looking to make a splash, Windows Phone is the place to do it.

Now, I know Windows Phone isn't exactly the most popular smartphone operating system out there. Apple's iOS remains the go-to platform for developers, and Android offers a massive potential customer base.

But in both cases, your app risks getting lost in the sea of other programs available on both platforms. You want to be noticed? Take a chance on Windows Phone, which has a fraction of the apps available on iOS and Android. There's a higher chance you'll … Read more