News

Fast fixie: Bicycle with giant chainring aims for 100 mph

Most of us don't put much thought into the components that make a bicycle move. Things like chains and chainrings are pretty much out of sight and out of mind as we peddle along. With Donhou Bicycles' 100-mph bike, you can't ignore the chainring. It's so big, you could serve a large pizza on it.

The Donhou bike has a purpose in mind. It's made to go fast. The strange-looking handlebars keep the rider hunched forward in an aerodynamic position. That humungous serving plate-size chainring then goes to work to propel you forward at speeds your Huffy would never even dare to dream of.… Read more

Nokia hints at U.S. flagship phone even as sales lag

Nokia is still struggling in the U.S., but there's hope that another flagship phone is on its way.

CEO Stephen Elop said on a conference call Thursday that this current quarter will mark a season of new product introductions. Most importantly, he hinted at a phone carrying "hero," or flagship, status with a leading U.S. carrier.

The product is likely to be the rumored variant of the Lumia 920 for Verizon Wireless. The phone is important because it gets Nokia into the nation's largest wireless carrier in a much bigger way, carrying with it … Read more

Image leaks of lower-cost iPhone with plastic case

A plastic, cheaper iPhone might be a reality, after all.

After rumors surfaced recently suggesting Apple would launch a thicker, cheaper, plastic iPhone, an image seeming to be just that device has hit the Web. Earlier today, mobile case maker Tactus shared a photo of what it claims is the rear, plastic casing on Apple's next iPhone.

It's not clear how Tactus might have received the casing or whether it's real, but it follows a rumor in February from Japanese Apple-news site Macotakara, which claimed that a cheaper, plastic iPhone was on the way to store shelves.… Read more

Verizon's new phone upgrade policy draws scrutiny

Verizon Wireless' decision to extend the wait time for a phone upgrade has some concerned about the potential consumer reaction.

Verizon recently said it would do away with early upgrades, forcing consumers to wait the full 24 months before they are eligible to buy a new phone with the lower subsidized price. Customers previously had to wait only 20 months before getting the early upgrade.

The move comes as T-Mobile said it would do away with contracts and subsidized pricing, providing a better financial deal to consumers. From a broader industry perspective, more consumers are starting to move away from … Read more

Verizon sold 4M iPhones in Q1

Verizon Wireless sold 4 million iPhones in the first quarter.

The breakdown of iPhone sales was split evenly between the iPhone 5 and older iPhones, Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said during a conference call Thursday.

The company sold 7.2 million smartphones in the period, with 28 percent going to customers new to Verizon. Shammo declined to provide a figure for Android sales.

In total, Verizon sold 9.7 million devices on a contract basis, with 87 percent of those being phones of some sort.

The 4G LTE push continued in the first quarter. Verizon activated 5.9 million … Read more

Verizon profit up 16 percent as wireless growth chugs along

Verizon bounced back from a tough fourth quarter and started the year off strongly.

The telecommunications provider today posted a first-quarter profit of $1.95 billion, or 68 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $1.67 billion, or 59 cents a share. Revenue rose 4.2 percent to $29.42 billion from a year ago.

Analysts, on average, projected per-share earnings of 66 cents and revenue of $29.55 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

Growth, as usual, was driven by the Verizon Wireless unit, which generated $19.5 billion in revenue, up 6.8 percent from a … Read more

Eye Tribe for Android tracks eyes, makes fingers obsolete

Today, during the Demo Mobile conference in San Francisco, The Eye Tribe, maker of eye-tracking software for Android, announced that in June it will release a developers' kit for games and apps.

In its press release, The Eye Tribe claims to make the "world's first eye control software" for Android devices.

The software makes it possible to scroll down Web pages, play games, and unlock your home screen, using nothing but your eyes.

While devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 are said to have eye-tracking software already, that handset's Smart Pause feature only recognizes whether your … Read more

Galaxy S4 launches begin next week

CNET Update is all a blur:

It would be great for Samsung if every carrier launched its flagship phone on the same day. Alas, it seems only the iPhone has that kind of global coordination. Today's Update counts the many launch dates for the Galaxy S4.

Also in this tech roundup:

- Why Microsoft won't build its own phone

- Artists are testing the new Twitter Music app and tweeting about it

- Leap Motion strikes a deal to bundle its sensor with HP products

- Photoshop's next update will fix photo blur

Watch CNET Update in … Read more

Find local yoga classes with Om Finder for iOS

I think most people who have tried yoga would agree: it's a great way to improve flexibility and blood flow, increase stamina and strength, and even reduce back and muscle pain.

OK, but how can you find nearby classes, especially if you're traveling or you've just moved to a new town?

Yep: there's an app for that. Om Finder for iOS locates nearby classes, studios, and instructors wherever you happen to be in the world. It needs a few tweaks, but it's definitely a handy tool for the om-minded.… Read more

Midrange HTC 606w leaks, eyes China go-ahead, reports say

HTC might be looking to launch a new device in China soon.

Reports out of that country claim HTC has applied for regulatory approval for a new device known as the 606w. The midrange handset comes with a 4.3-inch 720p HD display and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. The handset has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

Unlike many of the latest smartphones today, the 606w will not come with Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Instead, the regulatory filing points to Android 4.1.2 being installed out of the box.

According to Phone Arena, a blog … Read more