ie8 fix

Android

Google rolls out Instant Previews on Android, iOS devices

Google announced earlier this week that it has enabled Instant Previews for Android handsets running Froyo (version 2.2) or later. Like its desktop counterpart, it allows you to see search results in a handy image format before clicking blindly on a link.

The feature is perfect for a number of scenarios, such as step-by-step instructions and how-to guides. What's more, providing a cached screenshot preview of the results is very convenient for smaller screens. I know I've grown frustrated by having to navigate the mobile browser back and forth, looking for the right page.

Instant Previews does … Read more

How to disable mobile geotagging

Before you tweet a photo of your delicious, homemade dish, check your settings--your phone might be embedding coordinates in your photos, leaving your location open to prying eyes.

Using the built-in GPS, phone camera applications can embed the latitude and longitude of a location in photos. Coordinates aren't shown in your photo library, but if you post a geotagged pic online, someone with an evil motive can easily extract the photo's EXIF data and find out where you live, eat, or hang out.

Creepy, right? This is a big security risk, especially for parents who post photos of … Read more

The 404 773: Where old habits die hard (podcast)

We all have habits to overcome, and we all know that Wilson's weakness is text messaging and abusing social networks, but what about me and Jeff? On today's show, you'll learn how Jeff overcame his filthy nail-biting and why I almost went bald at age 8.

It's challenging to differentiate between a habit and an addiction, but it's safe to say that an addiction is a behavioral pattern that escalates in frequency and advertises a lack of control. Smoking is one of the most pervasive examples of addiction in our society, but according to our first story of the day, text messaging may be the key to cessation!

According to new research at the University of Oregon, it may be possible to inhibit an individual's response to cravings brought on by addiction through reminders delivered via media like text messages.

"Research participants were prompted by eight text messages per day for three weeks to document their ongoing cravings, mood, and cigarette use" during the quitting process, the university said, and these messages may have helped some people curb their desire to smoke. Now if we can only find a way to help Wilson with his Facebooking...

A new book called "Cancel Cable: How Internet Pirates Get Free Stuff" by Chris Fehily serves as an instruction manual… Read more

How to ease into Google Voice: Freeze your cell phone service

You can listen to Google Voice messages from your smartphone, can dial out using your Google number on an Android phone, and can finally port your own cell phone number to Google Voice. But if you're not quite ready to cut the cord with your carrier, you don't have to.

Google Voice has a vast number of benefits, from managing voice mail in an inbox to placing free texts. However, there still are some flaws--barely legible voice transcription and mobile app SMS delays to name two (I know, I know, not everyone experiences the same issues)--and the … Read more

Digital City 118: New MacBooks and iPads, and will Ustream save Charlie Sheen?

This week we're buried under a ton of Apple news. We have new test results for the MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Air, plus there's the new iPad 2 to talk about. Later, Charlie Sheen goes rogue on Ustream, and we ask if celeb Web-casting is the ultimate end-run around the studio system?

Bonus: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

Read more

The 404 772: Where we eat shows like this for breakfast (podcast)

March 8, 2011, marks two important holidays: one is a global day to recognize the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future, and the other is a fabricated day of rejoicing for the most important meal of the day: breakfast!

This year is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, so check out Mashable's list of what you can do to show your appreciation for females around the world. Our favorite is a joint collaboration between Vivanista, CARE, and Sprinkles Cupcakes that helps you organize a Cupcake Party for a Purpose to meet with like-minded women in your area.

National Breakfast Day sounds like a pseudo-holiday fabricated by Kellogg to sell more breakfast cereal, but the company's latest campaign at shareyourbreakfast.com is so cool we don't even care.

For every picture that gets uploaded to the Web site, Kellogg will donate a breakfast to a hungry child with the help of Action for Healthy Kids, a nonprofit volunteer organization that helps out underserved children in America. More than 800 photos of breakfasts have already been uploaded, and you can even text a photo or description of yours with the word "Share" to 21534 or post a picture on Twitter with the accompanying hashtag #shareurbreakfast.

Wilson's all about the advancement of women and eating breakfast, but as usual he's distracted with this Friday's iPad 2 release. On the other hand, he's not as obsessed as this Texan already camped out in line to buy one. It's Justin Wagoner, the same dude who… Read more

Android leaps beyond RIM to take top spot in U.S. market

Android is the now most popular mobile platform for smartphones in the United States, says a study released yesterday. According to the ComScore survey, Google's OS powered nearly a third, or 31.2 percent, of all smartphones during the three-month period ending January 2011.

Gaining 7 percentage points from the previous quarter, Android now surpasses mobile operating systems from both RIM and Apple. RIM dropped more than 5 percentage points and now sits closely behind Android at 30.4 percent while Apple's share rose ever so slightly to 24.7 percent. Microsoft (8 percent) and Palm (3.2 … Read more

Rumor: LG Optimus 2X headed to T-Mobile as G2X

If the latest whispers prove to be true, the upper end of T-Mobile's Android lineup is set to get a little more crowded. According to a leaked document, the wireless provider is expecting to bring the LG Optimus 2X Stateside. This would potentially make for two dual-core handsets for the carrier, as it are also rumored to be working on one with HTC.

According to the information obtained by TmoNows, the LG handset will carry the name of G2X. That would follow the G-Slate as the next in the "G" series of Android devices. Thus far, the … Read more

The 404 771: Where the #dickbar is our totem (podcast)

We've been curious about how Twitter plans to make money off its services, and this weekend our questions were answered with one word: the dickbar. In-stream advertising has finally landed on the official Twitter iPhone app, and users will now see a top-mounted bar that shows "promoted" hashtags sponsored by advertisers who pay for the distraction.

The problem with these ads isn't that they're obtrusive or that Twitter CEO Dick Costolo initially told us they would be "organic to the platform," but that they're not specifically targeted at users, which makes sense because people use Twitter for a million different applications.

During this conversation, Wilson also reveals that he actually clicks on Google ads when he's shopping for things like headphones or, say, a house. I guess Jeff and I are so astonished at this because we're always looking for the quickest, easiest way to get rid of the annoying pop-ups.

The Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index shows, via statistical analysis of interviews with adults, that the happiest man in America is Alvin Wong: a tall, Asian-American, observant Jewish man who's at least 65 years old, married with children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business, and has a combined annual household income of at least $120k.

We certainly have a long way to go before we achieve pure bliss!

Apple rejected the controversial iBoobs application back… Read more

Google Maps Navigation for Android gets real-time traffic smarts

Once again, Google delivers a new feature for its Android Maps Navigation app that gives the mobile mogul an edge over other navigation solutions.

Today Google Maps Navigation for Android acquires some real-time traffic smarts in its navigation feature, a boon to any rush-hour driver who would too often second-guess Google's route as the most efficient for current conditions (I speak from experience here.)

Now, Google claims, it's finally taking road congestion into account, using both real-time and historical traffic patterns for the time of day. The new feature is automatic. A real-time traffic layer has been available … Read more