Amazon’s first smartphone, the Fire Phone, looks like an amazing piece of hardware. You’ll want to play around with it the first chance you get. There are cameras tucked into all four corners of the front of its 4.7-inch screen—not for taking Brady Bunch selfies, but to pull off some fancy “Dynamic Perspective” tricks. Using Continue Reading →
Smartphones
Posts I've written about Smartphones. Subscribe to my newsletter to make sure you don't miss anything.
If you catch a kid using a cell phone in school, chances are they’re not doing class-related research. But what if instead of having access to Angry Birds, Candy Crush, and the entirety of the Internet, kids could be restricted to a “school zone” mobile ecosystem while in class? Such a “mobile learning framework” is Continue Reading →
Amazon’s upcoming smartphone will be exclusive to AT&T, according to The Wall Street Journal. The e-commerce giant is widely expected to introduce its first ever smartphone at a media event on Wednesday, building on its Kindle Fire line of Android tablets. Amazon already has a relationship with AT&T; the carrier provides wireless service to its Continue Reading →
Nokia’s newest phone, the Lumia Icon, may be the most personalized phone I’ve ever touched. A lot of that personalized feel comes from Cortana, Microsoft’s new personal assistant. Cortana is brand new to Windows Phone 8.1 and, just like Siri, can answer questions like “What’s the temperature outside?” But Cortana learns from you in a Continue Reading →
For more than three years now, Microsoft has held to the line that it has loads of patents that are infringed by Google’s Android operating system. “Licensing is the solution,” wrote the company’s head IP honcho in 2011, explaining Microsoft’s decision to sue Barnes & Noble’s Android-powered Nook reader. Microsoft has revealed a few of Continue Reading →
Getting directions on the road from Google Maps and other smartphone apps is a popular alternative to the expensive navigation aids included in some cars. The apps are also a gray area when it comes to laws banning the use of cellphones or texting while driving. The Transportation Department wants to enter the argument. The Continue Reading →
If you spend a lot of time traveling overseas, you’ll quickly realize that smartphones are not all smart. The rates for making and receiving calls are reminiscent of mobile phone plans in the 90s. If you don’t buy an expensive monthly international roaming plan, your phone calls may cost several dollars per minute. Even with Continue Reading →
A team of three young coders has come up with a way to turn your iPhone’s speakers into a wireless surround-sound system, thanks to a mobile app called Audibly. The app, which is perfect for parties or for blasting music when decent speakers aren’t readily available, uses technology found on newer devices (running iOS 7 Continue Reading →
Soccer fans around the world would rather be in Brazil right now than anywhere else. But most will stay home for the 2014 World Cup. If you’re not spending the next month in Brazil, you can still catch every game, no matter where you are. WatchESPN will live-stream all 64 games, available both online and on your Continue Reading →
Apple’s voice-activated assistant is now a well-known personality in his/her own right, but unless you’ve taken the time to dig into all the features that Siri offers you might not realize just now capable it is (particularly since the arrival of iOS 7). Here are seven ways to get Siri working harder for you. Siri Continue Reading →