Smartphones

I get really excited when I see devices like the Android-powered Vega Tablet that debuted last week. The moment I read the announcement, I started thinking of all the ways it could enhance my life.

And where would I use it first? In the kitchen, of course! After a minute or so I realized that there are five Google Android applications that I use on a semi-regular basis with my T-Mobile G1 that would be greatly improved by a device like the Vega.

Cooking Capsules allows me to watch cooking shows on my handset so I can whip up a romantic dinner for my wife. I can also search through the Taster Collection videos and watch step-by-step instructions on how to create such delicious dishes as a tofu stir fry or chocolate pots de creme.

While this and the other apps would look nice on my handset, I would simply love to see them on my kitchen counter on a screen large enough to view across the room. The idea behind Cooking Capsules is fantastic, but I've found myself getting close to dripping marinades on my phone twice already.

I downloaded a free application called Grocery List which is exactly as it sounds. Beyond creating a list of items to pick up the next time I am at the store, Grocery List also allows me to swipe my finger across items and check them off as I go.

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On Monday, Samsung revealed its latest Google Android device, the Samsung Galaxy Spica (I5700).

Like its siblings, the Samsung Behold II and Samsung Galaxy, the Spica has more of a multimedia focus and is actually the first Android smartphone to offer DivX support. In addition, it includes DNSe 2.0 (Digital Natural Sound engine) technology to improve sound quality and features a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 3.2-inch (320x480) capacitive touch screen.

The Spica measures 0.51 inch thick and features a 1500mAh lithium ion battery. Other highlights of the smartphone include an 800MHz processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, … Read more

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 is making the rounds. First debuting with T-Mobile and recently announced for Sprint and Verizon (as the Curve 8530), the Curve will now also be available at AT&T in the coming weeks for $99.99 with a two-year contract and a mail-in rebate.

While more of an entry-level device, the Curve 8520 has integrated Wi-Fi and includes access to AT&T's 20,000 hot spots nationwide. The smartphone also features a 320x240 display, an optical trackpad, dedicated media keys, and a 2 megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities.

In addition to the … Read more

Back when I used to work at Sony Online Entertainment many, many years ago, I became a board game geek. The game designers and producers gathered once a week to share their sizable collections and obscure finds up in Mira Mesa, Calif., and I got hooked. The fact that the Game Keeper chain of stores was simultaneously going out of business and liquidating their supplies encouraged me to start building my own game cabinet, and I profess without shame that I rapidly became a full-blown board game geek.

I still like hunting for new games, and a few years ago at the New York Toy Fair I came across the brilliant and simple tile-based game called Hive.

Like a cross between chess and dominos, Hive's hexagonal pieces are shaped like insects, each of which can move differently on their mission to surround the opponent's queen bee. I tried to order Hive online but it wasn't available, and no local game retailer would stock it. I finally found the game in a small town in Devon, England, while visiting my in-laws, and paid close to $35 for it.

This long story comes to a quick point: I found Hive on the iPhone App Store last week for $4.99, and instantly bought it. I hope this trend continues, and it should.

Hive joins my collection of Settlers of Catan, Go, Mancala, and what I'm sure will be many, many more board games shrunken to pocket-size on my iPhone. It's wonderful, and I feel like it's groundbreaking, too.

While game systems like the Nintendo DS and PSP have had a variety of fantastic titles, they'd certainly never proceed into European board games. The low overhead and microprices on Apple's ever-enormous App Store becomes, for both developers and consumers, a great live petri dish to grow a new legion of board game fans. … Read more

With the recent flood of new Google Android phones, some of you may be thinking of making the switch. You're right to consider it, as there are many advantages to the operating system, not the least of which is the growing line of attractive handsets. But for the uninitiated, Android can be a bit of a mess. It's supposed to be a uniform operating system across all devices, but in practice, the user interface on each device varies slightly. It offers third-party applications, e-mail syncing, and a media player; however, the capabilities of those features also will differ by handset. Lastly, while Android promises a high degree of user customization, that may not mean a whole lot to the average person.

Understanding the operating system Fear not, as Android takes only a brief period of acclimation. Even after a few minutes, you'll get the hang of the interface and you'll be able to navigate your way through your phone. Yet, you need to know a few things about Android before making the jump. Below I've told you what to expect, because I'd hate for you to be surprised by what you find. And equally as important, because your Android experience will vary by device, I'll break down the current U.S. handsets and give you the basic scoop of the Android features on each device.… Read more

Last June, I complained about the overused phrase "iPhone killer." I argued that it elevates the iPhone to a place that it doesn't deserve. Yes, it's a great device in many ways, but it's not the pinnacle of cell phone achievement.

As it turns out, I was a little ahead of myself. In the two-and-a-half years since the first iPhone , was born, I've seen quite a few supposed iPhone rivals pass through CNET. But I had to wait until two weeks ago before a real challenger finally landed on my desk.

The Motorola Droid … Read more

As if Apple and Microsoft didn't already make it clear (editor's note: by Apple, we mean the ever-pervasive rumors of their upcoming "slate"), 2010 looks like the Year of the Tablet. First viewed sitting on a table of an Nvidia executive, the Vega tablet will try to beat Apple's tablet (if the rumors are true), Microsoft's in-process Courier concept, and the semievaporated Crunchpad to the punch.

ICD, the manufacturer of the Vega, has confirmed the existence of the tablet as a real product, whose details will be more fully revealed at CES. Vega...Vegas...… Read more

On Thursday, Samsung and T-Mobile announced that the Samsung Behold II will be available starting November 18 for $229.99 with a two-year contract.

First announced at CTIA Fall 2009, the Behold II is Samsung's second Android device. It uses Samsung's TouchWiz interface and includes a 3D cube navigation menu for the phone's multimedia features.

The smartphone also has a 3.2-inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen and a 5-megapixel camera. While we're all about the AMOLED display, we think the price is a little high, considering that the Behold II is running Android 1.5 and … Read more

Remember how we said new Netbooks were coming for CES? We might as well expand that statement to include smartbooks. The new terminology, coined to describe laptop-style devices running sub-Atom processors (Snapdragon from Qualcomm being one of them), is rapidly gaining in fashion lately, especially in relation to cell phone carriers. Packaging these types of extremely small and cheap smart devices in with cellular data plans seems like a match made in gadget heaven.

We've seen prototype smartbooks from Nvidia featuring the Tegra processor (the same that's in the Zune HD), but the Lenovo smartbook unveiled ever-so-briefly at … Read more