720

Busy fall for Apple, Xbox, and Amazon

CNET Update is out of breath:

Apple fans will have to wait until the fall for new "amazing" products, or so promises CEO Tim Cook.

Samsung fans will also be doing some waiting. The Galaxy S4 was said to hit stores this weekend, but the smartphone is facing supply issues -- and that's causing T-Mobile and Sprint to push back launch dates and only sell online. But you may be able to find one on Saturday in stores at AT&T, and on Tuesday at U.S. Cellular. [Read CNET's review here.]

For shoppers that … Read more

Nokia Lumia 720 review: Sleek, but not the best value in town

With all the Nokia Lumia phones out and about right now, it's hard to keep track of what's what. Luckily, CNET UK's Andrew Hoyle puts the Nokia Lumia 720 into perspective in his full review of the midrange smartphone.

The Windows 8 phone looks sleek and familiar, more akin to Nokia's high-end Lumia 920 than the upper-midrange 820 series. It offers more than the forthcoming 520 and budget 620, but not so much over these latter two that wallet-watchers should lose focus.

In other words, the decent camera, user-friendly interface, and bevy of Nokia-only apps do … Read more

The 404 1,246: Where we kick rocks (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- EA awarded "Worst Company in American History" for second consecutive year.

- Next Xbox won't be backward-compatible, report says.

- CNET How-to: How to make a video game patchbay.

- Warner Bros. Montreal developing Arkham City prequel starring "unrefined" Batman: Arkham Origins.

- 404 news: We're starting to break segments out into shorter clips that are easier to share. Help us blast these out to your friends, won't you? The first one is our report on the list of NSFW movies the Vatican is watching right now!… Read more

Google might be chatting with WhatsApp

CNET Update needs a smarter wrist:

Could Google be looking to buy WhatsApp? The latest report says Google is considering acquiring the app for $1 billion. At the end of 2012, it was said Facebook was talking about buying this popular messaging app. If it sells for $1 billion, that puts WhatsApp into the same category as Instagram, which sold to Facebook for the same amount.

Also in today's tech roundup:

- We might hear more about the next Xbox console in late May. Reports indicate that Microsoft pushed an April reveal back to May 21.

- Sony revealed … Read more

iRadio could be better for music labels

CNET Update requires an Internet connection:

Not only is Apple on a mission to launch iRadio this summer, but CNET's Paul Sloan reports that iRadio could be a better payoff for music labels than Pandora.

Also in Friday's tech rundown, get a glimpse of future tech coming from the research team at AT&T Labs. I got to demo a few of the company's latest projects, including a device that blocks calls when you're deep in thought.

If you don't like the idea of an Xbox that requires an Internet connection, a Microsoft games … Read more

Next Xbox won't support optical drive game playback -- report

Microsoft's next Xbox won't allow gamers to play titles from an optical drive, according to a newly leaked document.

The folks over at VGLeaks recently released what they claim is the Microsoft documentation for its next console, code-named Durango. In the long-winded document, which makes mention of enhanced graphics and an improved Kinect sensor that will be sold with the console, Microsoft notes that only hard drive-based game playback will be offered.

"Every Durango console will have a hard drive, although its exact capacity has not been chosen," the company wrote in the documentation. "It will be large enough, however, to hold a large number of games. All games will be installed on the hard drive. Play from the optical disc will not be supported."… Read more

Nokia takes aim at China with budget-friendly Lumias

BARCELONA, Spain--With the Lumia 720 and 520, Nokia has a shot of getting back in the China game.

The announcements at today's Mobile World Congress press conference were about Nokia filling out its portfolio with a few more budget-friendly smartphones, as well as two basic cellphones it files under the category of "first phone."

But in doing so, the company has given itself additional ammunition to re-enter the Chinese market with a bit more swagger. As with many other parts of the world, the company has struggled to offset the declines in its traditional Symbian phone business … Read more

Hands-on with Nokia's Lumia 720, a 920 'light'

Read the full Nokia Lumia 720 review from CNET UK.

BARCELONA, Spain--Of the four new handsets Nokia introduced at Mobile World Congress, the Nokia Lumia 720 is by far the most high-end.

The Windows Phone 8 device has a 4.3-inch LCD display with a ClearBlack filter that reduces outdoor glare and with a highly sensitive screen that responds to your navigational gestures, even if you're wearing gloves or have long nails -- just like the Lumia 920 and 820 series.

The rest of the body looks achingly familiar with squared-off edges and a more consistently flat body than … Read more

Nokia Lumia 720, 520 photos leak ahead of MWC

BARCELONA, Spain--Days before Nokia has a chance to unveil its Mobile World Congress lineup, apparent leaks of its two upcoming smartphones, the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520, have already surfaced to go along with some bubbled-up specs.

If the images, provided by EvLeaks, prove accurate, the midtier Lumia 720 and more entry-level 520 will feature the same bright colors and signature look as other smartphones in Nokia's Lumia line.

Expect to see handsets in cyan, yellow, red, white, and black.

According to rumored specs, the Lumia 720 will feature a 4.3-inch display with Nokia's ClearBlack glare-reducing filter, … Read more

Most anticipated games of 2013

Gamers have a lot to be excited about this year. The Sony PlayStation 4 just became official, and the announcement for the next-generation Microsoft Xbox can't be far behind.

But consoles alone aren't that interesting. What 2013 really needs are some great games.

A few weeks back, CNET's Senior Associate Games Editor Jeff Bakalar presented 25 of the most anticipated games of the year. To up the ante, I asked him to pick his favorite five from the list and rank them by degrees of anticipation.

So here you go. In this week's Top 5 I'… Read more