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Gingerbread still dominant with 57.5 percent Android ownership

Google's Android market is still dominated by Gingerbread.

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) versions, which first appeared on the mobile scene in December 2010, are currently running on 57.5 percent of all Android devices, new data posted on the platform's developers site shows. The newer Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) comes in at 20.9 percent market ownership. Android 2.2 (Froyo) is running on 14 percent of devices.

Ice Cream Sandwich is slowly but surely gaining on Gingerbread: last month, the former had just 16 percent share, compared with more than 60 percent for the latter.… Read more

Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G to hit T-Mobile in coming weeks

The Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G smartphone now has an official U.S. launch date, or rather a launch timeframe.

The Korean handset maker said today that the phone will appear on T-Mobile's network sometime in the coming weeks. T-Mobile subscribers will be able to order the phone through the carrier's retail outlets, certain third-party stores, and online through T-Mobile's site.

Initially known as the Galaxy S Blaze Q, the phone was rechristened with its current moniker last month. The Relay 4G was also allegedly supposed to reach consumers in August.

Sporting Android 4.0 Ice Cream … Read more

RadioShack kicks off latest contract-free mobile plans

Mobile phone customers can choose from even more contract-free plans from RadioShack as of today.

Four new plans are available altogether through Cricket Wireless -- two for feature phones and two for smartphones.

The $25-per-month feature phone plan offers 300 voice minutes, while the $35 plan raises that to 1,000 minutes. Both plans up the ante with unlimited data access, unlimited texting, call waiting, and three-way calling.

The $50-per-month smartphone plan adds unlimited voice minutes and promises that the first gigabyte of data will run at full 3G speeds. The $60 plan offers the first 2.5GB of data … Read more

AT&T's dual-mode Pantech Flex drops with Android 4.0 for $50

Well, this is a new one for AT&T and Pantech. The two have teamed up to offer the Pantech Flex, a budget Android phone designed to ease first-time smartphone users into the Android experience.

The Flex has an "easy experience" mode that limits Android 4.0 to a single home screen imbued with large text and buttons, and a simplified menu to ease up on the navigation and scrolling needed to operate the full-fledged Android experience. Think of it as Ice Cream Sandwich with training wheels.

Just because the Flex comes with a starter mode doesn'… Read more

Lenovo announces 9- and 7-inch Android 4.0 tablets

In addition to its Lenovo IdeaTab S2110, Lenovo unveiled two more Android 4.0 tablets today during IFA 2012 in Berlin, Germany.

The first is the Wi-Fi-only Lenovo IdeaTab A2109, which has a 9-inch LED touch screen with a 1,280x800-pixel resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio.… Read more

Severed Wampa arm fashioned into ice scraper mitt

When Luke Skywalker ran into a Wampa in a cave, he sliced off the beast's arm. In a scene that ended up on the cutting-room floor, Luke then fashioned an ice scraper out of the severed limb.

The "Star Wars" Wampa Ice Scraper Mitt is $24.95 from ThinkGeek, but you'll have to wait for it to come out this fall. Don't worry, it should be available in time for your winter vacation trip to Hoth.

The polyester mitt conceals an ice scraper in the palm, underneath a pile of white fur and shiny black claws. It is machine washable, so you can clean all the space gunk off it when you get back to your home planet.… Read more

MetroPCS unveils $55 unlimited 4G plan and new 4G phone

MetroPCS may hand the major carriers some competition, with its new 4G LTE plan for budget-conscious consumers.

Available as a promotion, the carrier's new 4G LTE plan provides unlimited talk, texting, and 4G LTE data for $55 a month for a single line. Families can join in by paying $50 a month for second, third, and fourth lines. Though the deal is being offered as a promotion, the expiration date is open-ended.

MetroPCS President Thomas Keys told CNET that the end of the promotion will depend on the adoption rate by consumers. "We didn't want to set … Read more

Sony Xperia P gets a serving of Ice Cream Sandwich

Sony today confirmed that the Xperia P is the latest Android smartphone to receive its 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. A post on the company blog advises that consumers will receive a notification when their respective update is ready to download.

As is the case with all other 4.0 releases, the handset will benefit from an enhanced lock screen, improved handling of data consumption, and scalable widgets. Sony has also taken steps to ensure a more rounded media experience for the Xperia P, introducing Walkman, Album, and Movies apps. … Read more

Quad-core Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet costs $500, $550

On the heels of last week's global launch, Samsung has officially announced U.S. pricing for its 10-inch Galaxy Note tablet.

The tablet, whose standout feature is its pressure-sensitive S Pen stylus and compatible apps, comes in two colors, deep gray and white. It also comes in two storage capacities. A 16GB model costs $499, but $549 gets you 32GB for your movies, music, photos, and apps. An additional $50 for double the internal memory is a nice, juicy carrot to upsell customers to the pricier model. (The Apple's iPad pricing runs along similar lines: the $499 entry-level … Read more

Android 4.0 rolling out to Droid 4

Motorola has confirmed that the Verizon Droid 4 is now officially undergoing its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update.

A late Monday tweet from the handset maker advises that the update is rolling out in phases. As is the case with other Android 4.0 builds, the Droid 4 will get features such as face unlock, data management, and a friendlier user interface. … Read more