Gem

If Nokia has its way, bendable cell phones will just be the beginning.

Today, on the 25th anniversary of the Nokia Research Center's founding, the Finnish handset manufacturer introduced a new concept phone whose entire body is a touch screen.

Dubbed the Nokia Gem because "precious stones have several sides," the front, back, and sides of the phone are an interactive display that changes depending on what function you're using at a given time.

For example, if you're using a navigation app on the Gem, you can have an overview map on one side of the phone and then flip it over to see a more detailed map view of your current location. Another instance shown in the video below is taking a photo and then using the touch-screen interface to wrap the entire image around the handset as a custom wallpaper. … Read more

U.S. Cellular customers looking for a prepaid account will now have two more phones to choose from: the Samsung Gem and the HTC Merge.

The angular, black plastic Gem is a full touch-screen Android 2.2 Froyo handset. It has a 3.2-inch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and it'll cost $139.99.

The heavier HTC Merge has metal accents, also runs Android 2.2, has a 3.8-inch touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and dual-SIM mode for world travel. It costs $299.99.

U.S. Cellular's prepaid plans range from $40 to $… Read more

Does it have Samsung's signature high-polish glossy body? Of course! But the Samsung Gem, an Android 2.2 Froyo smartphone for U.S. Cellular, also has some style all its own. With its swooping lines and repeated pentagonal, superhero-esque accent, it doesn't look like just any other Android phone.

We're pleased that Samsung left its custom TouchWiz interface off this model, giving us the default (some would call it "pure") Android experience.

The specs are typical for a … Read more

Verizon Wireless appears to be the next carrier in line to offer the entry level Android-level Samsung Gem. The budget-friendly handset was announced back in January and already has found a home with Alltel and, more recently, U.S. Cellular.

Ironically it was a Verizon-branded version of the Gem which first popped up on our radar back in August of 2010. Flash forward eight months and the stars appear to be aligning around a Big Red announcement. Tech blog Pocketnow found the Gem hiding on Verizon's Web site earlier this week, and others have begun reporting accessories arriving at … Read more

Starting tomorrow, U.S. Cellular customers will be able to buy the Samsung Gem for $29.99, after an $80 mail-in rebate.

Granted, it's not the cost savings you get with Alltel, which offered the Gem for free in February after a $50 mail-in rebate, but that's still a good price for any smartphone.

The specs are largely the same as the Gem on Alltel. There's a 3.2-inch touch screen and 3.2-megapixel camera. However, this Gem runs Android 2.2 Froyo, instead of Android 2.1 Eclair, which means you get support for features like … Read more

We caught wind of the Samsung Gem last month, but today Samsung and Verizon's Alltel have made their match official.

The 3G, candy bar Android smartphone sports a 3.2-inch touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, an 800Mhz processor, and Swype on the virtual keyboard. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a load of Google services are also present, as is a microSD card slot.

We're not too impressed that the Gem packs Android 2.1 Eclair, considering that the more advanced Android 2.2 Froyo has been available for over six months.

Still, the rock-bottom price will make up for … Read more

Samsung spilled details about a new Android handset on its Web site today, though it conveniently left out any carrier or release information. But no fear, as the device's model number tells us quite a bit.

The SCH-i100, or Samsung Gem, should be headed to Verizon Wireless or U.S. Cellular. We know that by the "SCH" in its model number. In contrast, anything with "SPH" would go to Sprint and any "SGH" models would land at T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless.

On the Gem's outside we have a candy bar design with … Read more

Many puzzle games fall into the trap of becoming repetitive and boring. You play them for a while, and they're fun, but eventually they're just not that interesting or challenging. Jewel Island solves this problem by making puzzle-solving part of a larger journey; you're not just solving puzzles for their own sake, but to move to the next step in the search for treasure.

The object of Jewel Island is to solve progressively more difficult puzzles in order to move to different points on a treasure map, eventually reaching the treasure and winning the game. We've … Read more

The Big 3 of Detroit aren't the only ones singing the praises of electric vehicles this week.

The U.S. Army on Monday announced an initiative to potentially replace up to 28,000 gas-powered vehicles at more than 155 Army installations with Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) in the coming years.

NEVs are not highway-legal electric vehicles, but rather light-use electric vehicles with a maximum speed of 25 mph. The Army intends to use them for nontactical things like on-base transportation for visitors, or maintenance personal and their equipment, according to Paul Bollinger, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for … Read more