710

Smartphones banned? Not in this primary-school class

It's not unusual for schools to ban mobile devices during class, but it's a different story at Nan Chiau Primary School in Singapore. Here, 350 third-graders gaze and poke at Windows phones while their science teacher elaborates on their assignments for the day. The students are free to shoot photos and videos using their Nokia Lumia 710 smartphones to help them remember what they've learned.

Using an app called myDesk -- developed by undergraduates at the University of Michigan -- the students make diagrams and concept maps, as well as append text and photos to their assignments. Teachers are also able to use the app to review the work submitted and leave feedback. … Read more

T-Mobile nixes Windows Phone 7.8 update for Lumia 710

Owners of Nokia's Lumia 710 who expected an update to Windows Phone 7.8 are out of luck.

The phone's sole U.S. carrier, T-Mobile, confirmed the news in a statement sent to CNET today:

At this time, the Nokia Lumia 710 will not receive the Windows Phone 7.8 software update. T-Mobile is committed to enhancing customers' experience with our devices, including providing upgrades to the latest operating systems, and T-Mobile aims to deliver software upgrades when it will provide a better experience for our customers. We'll share additional information on upgrades for the Nokia Lumia … Read more

View and convert PDFs fast with PDF Reader for Windows 7

PDF Reader for Windows 7 is a fast, lightweight freeware reader that can display and print PDFs as well as convert them into a wide range of other formats. It's designed to integrate with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 as the default PDF viewer, but it's also backward-compatible with Vista, XP, Windows 2000, and some server releases. It doesn't create PDFs; for that job, you'll still need a full-featured PDF software program, such as the one the developer also offers as a paid upgrade. We tried the freeware PDF Reader for Windows 7 … Read more

iPods arrive while waiting for iPad Mini

Tuesday's CNET Update is in the mood for Tropical Skittles:

The colorful new iPod Touch and iPod Nano are now shipping. The newest members of the Apple clan have made their way to CNET, and you can check out our unboxing video here. The new Touch starts at $300 with 32GB of memory. Like its iPhone 5 cousin, the Touch sports a larger screen and works with Siri. It also comes in tropical shades of pink, yellow and blue, as well as light gray, slate and bright red for (Product) red. The new Nano is $150 and comes in … Read more

Nokia City Lens app for Windows Phone 7 zooms in on local shops

Owners of virtually all Nokia Lumia phones will be able to discover local businesses via the company's new City Lens augmented reality.

Shown off by Nokia last week, City Lens overlays nearby businesses on the screen when you point your phone in their direction. Tapping a specific business reveals full details, including contact information, reviews, walking distance, and directions.

Though demoed for the upcoming Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920, the new app is actually available as of yesterday for the current Lumia 900, 800, and 710 Windows Phone 7 handsets. Owners of any of those phones can download City … Read more

A closer look at the Acer Iconia W510 and W700 (hands-on)

Less than a week after Microsoft dropped its Windows 8 Release Preview, Acer used Computex in Taipei, Taiwan, to unveil a gallery of ultrabooks, desktops, and tablets running the new operating system.

Given that Windows 8 was designed for tablets from the ground up, any supported devices will be closely watched. And with its new Iconia Tab W510 and W700, it's clear that Acer is branching away from Android and back into the fold of Microsoft.

The 10-1-inch Iconia W510 is tri-mode, which gives it the ability to shift between a standard tablet mode where you're touching the … Read more

Nokia Lumia 710 and 800 getting Wi-Fi hot spot update

Nokia's Lumia 710 and 800 phones may be one step closer to gaining the ability to act as Wi-Fi hot spots, though the company itself isn't confirming or revealing any details on the matter.

A changelog of the latest update posted by Nokiapoweruser seems to reveal that the tethering feature will be rolling out for phones in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Vietnam. Screenshots of the update point to the 710 and 800C (the Chinese variant of the 800) as the recipients of the update.

No specific date was listed as to when the update would actually launch. Nokiapoweruser … Read more

Will T-Mobile get the iPhone 5?

T-Mobile USA customers often feel like they are caught between a rock and a hard place.

They love T-Mobile's affordable pricing plans on its service that beats the competition, but the carrier lacks some of the most popular devices, like the Apple iPhone. And this leaves some T-Mobile customers torn between a desire for hot new devices, like the iPhone, and the prospect of spending more each month on service.

So what's a T-Mobile customer to do? In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help two different T-Mobile customers sort through their options.

T-Mobile customers cope with iPhone … Read more

Nokia to offer free covers for its Lumia 710

Grab them while you can.

Nokia is bringing back its Xpress-on color cover program by giving Lumia 710 owners in the U.S. one free cell phone cover during the month of April.

The manufacturer reported that the last time it implemented the offer, thousands of customers applied for the giveaway and received their covers.

Last month in March, the company surveyed 1,000 U.S. customers about their preferred shade. Blue won the majority of votes, with white, pink, and yellow following behind.

And just when you think the Lumia couldn't get any "freer," all throughout … Read more

Microsoft, Nokia spending $24 million to educate developers

Microsoft and Nokia are looking to create a new generation of developers for their mobile platforms by pouring money into education.

The two mobile partners will each contribute 9 million euros ($12 million) to fund a new program on mobile app development at Finland's Aalto University. The training, dubbed AppCampus, will focus on Windows Phone but will also cover Nokia's Symbian and Series 40 platforms.

Set to launch this May, AppCampus will be geared toward students and entrepreneurs from around the world looking for an education in mobile technology, design, and funding with an eye toward building their … Read more