Android

Hack your Android like a pro: Rooting and ROMs explained

For all of the flexibility and customization that comes with an Android device, there are still plenty of restrictions in place. While Android technically is an open-source platform, the final product is still the result of a phone-maker's skin, the carrier or manufacturer's preloaded software, or even sometimes, a few disabled features.

There isn't anything wrong with most out-of-the-box experiences, but more daring and tech-savvy users who tire of being at the mercy and discretion of carriers and handset makers might be interested in pushing their Android devices to new limits. This is where the practice known … Read more

Schmidt predicts entire world online by 2020. Is he right?

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt predicted that the world's entire population will be on the Internet by 2020.

"For every person online, there are two who are not," Schmidt said on Google+ last night. "By the end of the decade, everyone on Earth will be connected."

Certainly the number of people online is expanding dramatically, in particular with the spread of mobile phones. But the entire world?

That's a bold claim, given persistent poverty in many parts of the world and the difficulty of bringing even wireless networking to large swaths of thinly populated … Read more

Smartphone innovation: Where we're going next (Smartphones Unlocked)

The HTC One has a gorgeous chassis and a ton of camera tricks, the Samsung's Galaxy S4 pauses and unpauses video when you avert your gaze, and in the Lumia 920, Nokia was one of the first to introduce wireless charging and an ultrasensitive screen you can control while wearing gloves.

Yet compared with the real meat of what you do with a phone -- things like communicating with people, browsing the Internet, snapping photos, and playing games -- today's top phones are mostly all on par. Software and hardware extras that extend beyond the basics, while impressive, … Read more

Galaxy S4 Group Play makes sharing easier (hands-on)

Sharing is a big part of Samsung's products (just think of all those ads in recent months, like the one with a woman giving her husband a secret video). Now the Korean electronics giant is taking that a step further with the Galaxy S4's improved Group Play.

Galaxy S3 users will recognize this as the feature that lets them share documents and photos with others in close range. I recently got some hands-on time with Group Play on the S4 and found some nice updates to the program. In particular, future S4 owners can share music and games … Read more

Sprint garners new Amethyst Purple Galaxy S3

Don't want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to hit stores? Then perhaps you'll be tempted by a new purple-hued version of Samsung's hit handset from last year, the Galaxy S3. Sprint announced it will sell a special Amethyst Purple GS3, as well as the older Pebble Blue and Marble White models, for $99.99.

Of course that discount applies only to customers who bring their service and phone number from other carriers, or existing subscribers who add another line. That lops $99.99 off the Galaxy S3's unsubsidized $549.99 price. You also have … Read more

Amazon's Bezos defends heavy investments in Prime, Kindle

Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos today defended the company's stance on heavy investments in certain areas, saying it's focused on its customers, not its rivals, and that it believes its strategy is the best for the long term.

For years, Bezos has demonstrated a preference for plowing resources into initiatives to build market share but take years to generate profits. That seeming indifference to near-term profits worries Wall Street, with many expressing reservations over the years about the impact on margins. Amazon is believed to make little, if any, money on its gadgets, instead relying on customers to … Read more

Tablet sales will climb to $64B this year, ABI says

The tablet market should post strong growth this year, ABI Research said, as the traditional computing market slumps.

The tech research firm expects tablet sales to climb 28 percent this year to $64 billion. In terms of shipments, ABI projected a jump of 38 percent to 150 million in 2013.

"The convenience and mobility benefits afforded by tablet computers are showing no signs of slowing interest after record unit shipments and revenues were reported by device vendors in 2012," ABI said.

The tablet growth rate contrasts sharply with the traditional computing market, though PC shipments should still be … Read more

Android 4.1 launches for Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket owners finally have their shot at Android 4.1.

Available as of Wednesday, the Jelly Bean flavor of Android can be downloaded courtesy of AT&T.

Users can update their OS to Android 4.1.2 by following the how-to page on the carrier's Web site. The update does require Galaxy S2 Skyrocket users to download the software through Samsung's Kies and then sync it with their mobile phone.

Jelly Bean offers a number of enhancements over its predecessor, as an AT&T blog points out.

The notification screen organizes updates … Read more

Gallery of America's top Androids has some surprises

Recently, the folks at Handset Detection pulled together some data to figure out the top 10 Android devices in use in the United States as of February 2013, and the results revealed a surprising diversity of smartphones (and a few tablets) that include both the hottest phones of the past six months as well as some classics that it seems we just can't bear (or afford) to put down.

I decided to dig through the top 10 American Android devices to try and figure out what makes us pick and stick with the droids we love.… Read more