Smartphones

Last weekend Motorola refreshed its support forum for Android software upgrades. This latest round of news can be broken down into three categories: good, bad, and downright disappointing.

Let's start with the good news, shall we? As many of you are already aware, the Droid currently is receiving its 2.2 "Froyo" update. Meanwhile, the Droid X is expected to see Froyo in the "late summer," which echoes Verizon's original promise. Other handsets from around the world are slated to have Android 2.2 arrive in the fourth quarter, including the Milestone and the … Read more

Microsoft has just delivered on Monday an answer for software developers wondering when they'll be able to start creating apps for the Windows Phone 7 platform. The company is planning to release its Windows Phone Developer Tools on September 16, giving program authors at least a couple months to code before the "holiday release" of Windows Phone 7 handsets.

In the meantime, developers looking to have their apps and games ready for the Windows Phone Marketplace launch can get a head start by registering for the Marketplace and using the beta toolkit (direct download link) before recompiling … Read more

Wilson is out sick today (read: too scared of the rain to leave his house), so we're upgrading to someone better: Scott Stein of CNET's own Digital City podcast! He joins us on today's episode of The 404 to give us his personal review of the Apple iPad and five ways it's still better than the iPhone 4. We also discuss the next generation of portable adult entertainment, six tech species in danger of extinction, and the RIAA requiring FM radios in all cell phones.

Scott is CNET's resident laptop expert, but he also happens … Read more

New details on the Dell Thunder have cropped up on the Web.

According to Engadget, which secured two Android-based Dell Thunder prototypes, the smartphone is quite impressive. (That is, of course, if it is the device Dell plans to send to store shelves.)

The handset includes solid speakers at the bottom and uses a Micro-USB port to charge. It offers microSD support. And given the inclusion of a SIM card slot, it looks to be ready for GSM carriers. The prototypes that Engadget snagged also include an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash.

Engadget reported that while the … Read more

As with any classic role-playing-style game, EpicWin ($2.99) gives you experience points in a number of categories that help your character gain skills and move through a mystical world. The difference in this game? You have to complete your own real tasks to advance your character.

While task management and to-do lists are nothing new on the iPhone (see OmniFocus or Things), EpicWin puts a new spin on how you treat your responsibilities that may just cause you to get more done. With so many games geared toward farming computer crops, creating made-up mobs, or killing virtual vampires, EpicWin turns your to-do list into a game with real rewards (and some fun fake ones, too).

Setting up your EpicWin world is pretty easy. In fact, it's the first few tasks (renamed "quests" for this game) you must complete on your list the day you install the App. Those tutorial quests set you up to begin your journey toward tackling your tasks and completing them as your new avatar (choose from three free characters or two you can purchase in-App).

Being a tall, lanky dude, I of course chose the skeleton character for my avatar and began creating quests. The cool part about adding tasks to EpicWin (despite the fact that it does not sync with any current task managers or calendar to-do lists you may have) is that you get to determine each quest's level of Epicness. … Read more

RIM announced on Thursday that BlackBerry App World is now no longer in beta and is available for all BlackBerry owners.

A few things to note: Developers will be able to offer apps for $0.99 and $1.99, and there is support for both credit card and carrier billing. You can also use your BlackBerry ID to manage your account information across multiple devices, and the navigation has been improved considerably with new tabbed sections and the capability to quickly view the Top 25, Newest, and Recently Updated Apps. QR barcode scanning is also supported.

If you're a … Read more

Jill Schlesinger, aka Aunt Jill of CBS MoneyMoney, fills in for Justin, who is waiting for the cable guy. I believe they told him they'd come sometime between today and next week between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. (We all know how the cable guy loves to be on time).

On today's show, we talk about Facebook Places, a location-based check-in service. Say you're at a fantastic restaurant. You'll be able to check in with your mobile phone with GPS, leave comments about the food and service, tag your friends who … Read more

Today's episode of The 404 Podcast begins with a short lesson in Chinese breakfast foods and our love for combining savory meat into sweet bread. The dish in question is called char siu bao and it's a dim sum staple that you can also find in most Chinese bakeries--even Jeff seems to enjoy it, so you know it can't be that bad!

Before we make you too hungry, we'll touch on the new T-Mobile G2, the first smartphone to run on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network. The original T-Mobile G1 was the first Google Android phone released … Read more

T-Mobile let it slip through its Twitter account Wednesday that the Motorola Charm will be available beginning Wednesday, August 25. The carrier also announced on its Facebook page that the Android device will carry a price tag of $74.99 with a contract.

If you're not familiar with Charm it sports a quirky rectangular design in "golden bronze." The 2.8-inch capacitive touch-screen is smaller than we'd like, though it has a full QWERTY keyboard.

The handset runs Android 2.1 and MotoBlur while offering a 3-megapixel camera with Kodak Perfect Touch technology, voice dialing, Bluetooth, … Read more