Android

Skype released a new app for Android devices today, and the update boasts a new design for tablets, the ability to sign in and merge with a Microsoft account, and better audio.

This is the 3.0 version of Skype, a popular choice for video chatting and messaging across the Internet for free, and it requires Android 2.1 and up.

CNET's Jaymar Cabebe concludes that the design and audio quality on the new app is a definite upgrade, but the video quality of the service is not.

This update comes shortly after Skype launched a preview of its Windows 8 … Read more

Ah, it's that time of year again. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because you can gorge yourself on food without feeling guilty, spend time with your loved ones, and knock a stranger over at 6 a.m. in front of a department store in a frantic attempt to purchase that plasma TV.

All right, so it might not be everybody's definition of a good time, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday are grand institutions that let you save a lot of dough on some of this year's hottest electronics.

And as anyone can tell you, … Read more

Every morning and every night I wade through a gauntlet of screaming kitties, demanding their meals. This is the dark side of living with LOLcats. It would be nice sometimes to kick back in a coffee shop somewhere, tap on my smartphone, and let a machine do all the work.

The Pintofeed is an intelligent, Wi-Fi-connected pet feeder that's dialed in to smartphones and social media. It serves up food in half-cup portion increments and is controlled by Android or iOS devices. The standard capacity is 5 pounds of food, but an optional 10-pound holder is available.

There are plenty of safeguards built into the machine to insure it keeps working while you're away. It has a battery backup in case the AC power goes out. There are two motors so the secondary motor will kick in if the first one goes out. The owner receives an alert if something goes wrong.… Read more

Samsung has released the LTE edition of its Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, but the model is available only in Korea for now.

Sold through three different Korean wireless carriers, the new tablet also offers VoLTE (Voice over LTE), which allows standard voice calls to be transmitted over the LTE data network.

Hit by lackluster sales for its Tab tablet lineup, Samsung has been promoting the new Note devices. The introduction of LTE brings the Note up to the level of the 4G Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Sporting Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the LTE Galaxy Note 10.1 kicks … Read more

When Intel CEO Paul Otellini retires in May, he'll leave a mixed record.

On the one hand, Intel's processor manufacturing prowess remains second to none, with the company often introducing new miniaturization technology years ahead of rivals. As ever more companies withdraw from chip manufacturing, Intel manages to keep turning the crank profitably. During Otellini's reign, Intel has so far generated $107 billion in cash from operations and paid dividends of $23.5 billion.

But Intel also has failed to come to terms with a powerful force in the processor world -- the rise of mobile devices … Read more

As if it were any surprise, HTC looks to be readying an international version of the recently announced Droid DNA. A tweet from often-accurate @evleaks tells us the 5-inch smartphone will be released as a global edition and will be called the HTC Deluxe.

If the Deluxe name sounds familiar it is because that was one of the code names tossed around in the months leading up to last week's announcement. Some readers may recall recently hearing the phone tied to rumors of a HTC DLX moniker.

Reportedly, the HTC Deluxe will feature the same quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro … Read more

RadioShack Wireless today added another Android-based handset to its burgeoning roster of no-contract smartphones. Available just in time for the holiday shopping season, the HTC Desire C can now be yours for a cool $119.99.

While it's certainly not going to replace your existing Android experience, it's plenty for a first-time smartphone adopter. Those who want to dip their toes in the Android waters without breaking the bank will likely appreciate the device.

Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Desire C features a 3.5-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, a 600MHz processor, 512MB RAM, … Read more

Twitter has tweaked its iOS and Android apps to show tweets tailored just for you, much the way its Web site has done since September.

A tap on the Discover page in the apps now displays a few select stories at the top, all considered relevant to you but not ones that you're necessarily already following. Tapping on the "View all stories" link brings up even more tweets that Twitter believes will interest you.

Each story offers a brief description, photo, and link, so you can quickly browse through the list and just tap on the ones … Read more

Today is a sobering one for many Droid Razr owners like me. We're officially walking around with smartphones that are almost worthless, at least from the perspective of one major retailer.

Best Buy is letting go of the basic 16GB Droid Razr 4G LTE phone for free with a new Verizon contract for today only. I paid $199 for mine with the same strings attached about eight months ago.

If you're the kind of person who can live without the latest version of Android (the Razr comes with Gingerbread, but you should receive the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade … Read more